The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: northfifeduckling on May 26, 2009, 01:45:04 pm

Title: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: northfifeduckling on May 26, 2009, 01:45:04 pm

This morning I noticed smallish caterpillars on my gooseberry bush, whitish with black dots. They seem to be eating the leaves. Nothing in my book - does anyone have any idea what they will turn into and if they are detrimental to the plant? :&>

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: doganjo on May 26, 2009, 01:49:28 pm

Get rid of them as fast as you can, they will strip the bushes bare of leaves in a very short space of time and then there will be no fruit.  I don't know what kind of caterpillar they are but I've had these in the past and they are bad news

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: northfifeduckling on May 26, 2009, 02:00:34 pm

thanks, Annie, duck food then :&>

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: doganjo on May 26, 2009, 02:01:22 pm

Aha, good thinking batman!

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on May 26, 2009, 02:06:12 pm

post prob cabbage whites !!!!

KILL KILL KILL lol

Squish wm or feed em to the birdies (wild or domestic )

Linz

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: northfifeduckling on May 26, 2009, 02:36:31 pm

picked off a good lot, they'd stripped 2 branches since I noticed them - what happened to the wild birds, they should have done what I did, lol! Had cabbage whites on cabbages before, never a problem with gooseberries in all those years...The bush they went for doesn't have many fruit on them anyway this year, hope it will recover. :&>

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: doganjo on May 26, 2009, 03:02:38 pm

Keep an eye on the other bushes - there may be eggs waiting to hatch, squish them off too.  You've seen the speed they can eat at!

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: Rosemary on May 26, 2009, 04:43:27 pm

Gooseberry sawfly. Remove or spray with derris. We get them every year. They also attack red and white currants so if you have them, check them too.

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: JD on May 26, 2009, 08:33:17 pm

I had them last year completely defoliated the bush in a day. Have been watching for them this year but so far so good.
JD

Title: Re: caterpillars on my gooseberry bush
Post by: northfifeduckling on May 27, 2009, 04:20:14 pm

Thanks, Rosemary - checked the currants and they are on there too. Will put my daughter to good use and we'll pick them off. They really took me by surprise, never had them before in 15 years...They should be mentioned in the Fruit Expert! :&>