Sawfly already !

[Marb67]

Well I am dumfounded as my gooseberry leaves are covered in sawfly weeks months before they are due to arrive. I cannot believe this is happening. My gooseberries have hardly begun to grow and already it is being attacked.

[happyhumph]

Poor you! Gather them up & squish them or put on the bird table

[fishpond]

Hi Marb67
Do you have phots?

[Marb67]

No but def sawfly. Tiny weeny catterpiller on underside of leaves. Some just the veins left.

Is this normal ? I have jetted with hose as removing by hand will take forever as it's getting a large bush.

[Thelma Sanders]

It's not early

Most active April to September

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=517

I think if you've just hosed them off, they will climb back up again

[Bigmallly]

Might be best covering the bush with a fine net.

[Nicos]

They climb up from the soil after overwintering down there if I recall correctly.

Squish as many as you can now marb.
Perhaps put a collar around the base of the shrub ?

[Marb67]

Difficult to get a colar round them as congested and very prickly. Even after hosing with a jet setting, soaking with soapy water with peppermint oil and garlic water they are still all over it. I give up.

[Nicos]

You know, sometimes you need to follow the non organic route...it depends of how keen you are not to use chemicals?

Maybe a bug spray is now in order? ( I can hardly believe I'm saying this!!!!)

If you do choose to spray them then you will most likely break the cycle so next year will be better???

Here's an RHS link....
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=517

[veggiechicken]

Difficult to get a colar round them as congested and very prickly.

If its congested you need to thin it out a bit. Don't make it easy for the little beggars to move from branch to branch.
Prune out the old branches and let the air and birds get in there. Don't forget your heavy gloves

[Marb67]

I have seen the sparrows going in and around so they should pick some off and keep them distracted from my Peas and other leafy veg they are demolishing.

[Marb67]

Well after soaking in soapy water with peppermint oil the beggards have carried on and stripped more leaves overnight. I have just jetted them all off with the hose and they are on the ground. Hopefuly they will stay there and frogs will get them.

[roitelet]

Sorry to say Marb but they go In to the ground to pupate and the ones that aren't ready will climb back aboard. They need to be DEAD. If you can stop this generation there won't be another this year and there can be three generations in a year.

[Marb67]

Well as there are multiple gooseberry stems on each plant it's impossible to put a collar on so I have put a layer of sawdust around to mulch. I have also painted on some syrup on as much as the stems as I can and sprayed chilli oil from a spray bottle on the leaves and stem. Surely that has to work ?

[Bigmallly]

Not if the sawfly have a liking for Chilli Syrup.............