Gooseberries decimated in 24 hours!

[Tomatoking]

Mrs TK has just come running in saying that we have a problem in the fruit cage!

I had only been in there yesterday and everything was fine. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw all the leaves and the fruit half stripped from most of the gooseberry plants and the red & blackcurrant bushes. On closer inspection we have found the culprits!

My theory is that without the netting that the birds might have pecked at a few fruit, but would have got rid of the insects. So, should the netting come down??

[Bigmallly]

I don't know what birds prefer TK, fruit or catterpillers. It's a tricky one. Is there anything available to rid the beasties and put finer netting on.

[Tomatoking]

So much for my DIY fruit cage.

[binley100]

Quelle horreur !
Last year we checked regularly and the bushes were fine. This year we spent three days picking caterpillars off , luckily before they were totally decimated. Ours aren't netted, last year tons of fruit , this year not much. I think to keep the sawfly out you would need something like debris netting. I also read that you need to keep hoeing under the bushes so the birds can get the grubs which are in the soil.

[valmarg]

When we used to have a gooseberry bush, at the first sign of gooseberry sawflly I would chuck a handful of peanuts under the unnetted bush. The great tits and blue tits soon found the caterpillars, and fed them to their young. Blue tits and great tits are not fruit eaters, and when they are clearing your bush of sawflies, they ensure that you may get a crop, ie the bush not being entirely stripped.

When you have managed to clear the bush of sawfly, and have some fruit developing, that's when the turdus family take notice, ie the blackbird, thrush, etc. They are the ones guilty of stripping your fruit bushes, whether they be red, black or white currants, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, et el.

Once you notice you have gooseberry sawfly, encourage the blue and great tits, and even starlings. They will do a great job of clearing the caterpillars.

Once they've gone, and there is fruit setting. Net up against the blackbird clan.

valmarg

[Brengirl]

OMG. After all the anticipation and planning. How could they eat that much in one day?

[ginger ninger]

Yuk...but they must have been there some time they don't get that fat overnight. I'd be tempted to take all the netting off and let the bird's have a feast. Definitely Gooseberry saw fly and they pupate in the soil so if you don't get them now...they'll come back with vengeance.

[newbieveggie]

Crumbs this thread has just prompted be to go and have a look at mine. For the last two years Ive had trouble with sawfly. My goosegogs werent netted so no fruit, this year we have made a fab fruit cage, got some fruit but still I found a bird in there yesterday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[newbieveggie]

Oh and when are goosegogs deemed to be ready for picking ?

[Flummery]

Oh and when are goosegogs deemed to be ready for picking ?

I like to pick mine when they are just soft to squeeze. If they are rock hard they are dead sour too. I generally wait till July.

[FB.]

As soon as I read the title, I knew that it'd be gooseberry sawfly.
People underestimate how destructively and suddenly they can attack.
I've also seen gooseberry sawfly attack other plants near to the gooseberries.

The best "organic" way is to check your plants regularly (at least twice a week) and remove caterpillars before they get a chance to grow into bush-munching monsters.
I take a walk round my fruit trees/bushes every few days and literally "nip it in the bud" whether it be bugs or fungal disease.

Birds will eat fruits if you give them access, while the sawfly caterpillars usually eat the leaves.
If the plants are open, they may have neither fruit nor leaves.

[Two_Sheds]

I've never had any fruit off my redcurrants or gooseberry plants: the sawfly strip them every year.

[Tomatoking]

Thanks for all the replies so far, last year we had no problems at all.
This year we have more fruit as I did a little pruning. I have used grass cuttings as a weed suppressant, and last month added a net over the top.
I do not think we lost too many with the birds last year, but this year we added strawberry plants and raspberries to the same area, so we thought a cage was a good idea.
MR TK

[Bigmallly]

As was mentioned earlier, would debris netting be the answer?...........I don't know how big a sawfly is.

[Bigmallly]

Here's an interesting article on the subject.

Organic gardening and pests: the gooseberry sawfly - Telegraph