sawfly ?

My 1 gooseberry bush has lost all its leaves, totally stripped, I have been told this is probably sawfly?
Will the bush survive and how can I stop the problem? do I spray?

Cheers,
Boots

 

Cant help you with you problem boots but I am considering growing goosgogs next year so have an interest in thiis issue. Im sure our expects will help out
Robert

 

Yup, that sounds like gooseberry sawfly, one of the most voracious leaf eaters you'll ever have the misfortune to find in your garden. They multiply so fast and eat so much they literally strip every leaf from a bush. It's said this weakens a plant and it may not bear much fruit next year. This happened to a neighbour of mine. All you can do is give it some TLC i.e. fertilizer and enough to drink, for the rest of the year and hope for the best.

It's too late to spray now. You need to be vigilant next year and at the first sign, spray with something like Provado's Ultimate Bug Killer.

 

hi boots
i had the sawfly earlier on in the year,i spotted mine as soon as they had just started on one branch, it is the catterpillars that do the damage
i sprayed right away with wilkos general bug killer and it killed them off,
this was my bushes first year so there was no fruit on it anyway
since then it has thrown up a new shoot and is generally looking quite healthy, i have read it does not affect the bush for next year and i will be keeping a close eye next year around june which is when i believe the sawfly lay their eggs

 

Thanks Pam, Flinty,
It is in its first year so no fruit, there is fresh growth on the branches so hopefully no damage done.

I will keep an eye out next year and hope to spray before too late.

Cheers,
boots