Gooseberry decimation

No - I'm not growing gooseberries in a metric way

I have two gooseberry bushes, with a good crop aboard.

Came home from work a couple of days ago and both have been stripped of every last piece of foliage - not a leaf or hint of leaf left anywhere. Gooseberries untouched.

Not prone to locusts here in East Anglia; the leaves didn't fall off (none on the ground) - what could have stripped the bushes so swiftly and voraciously and are there any other fruit trees/plants/bushes such a pest will also target?

Many thanks!

 

its probably been got by gooseberry sawfly, mine was the same last year.

this is the rhs link about them

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profiles0601/gooseberry_sawfly.asp

 

Anything I can do to prevent it happening?

 

sorry Hammerchewa, I editted my post at same time as you posted. The link above gives a bit of advice regarding stopping it from happening. basically, pick the larvae off or spray with insecticide

 

That's great - thanks for the help and link