Gooseberry Saw Fly

Anyone had any experience with this. I have three gooseberry bushes in my small garden and for the past two years they have been devastated by gooseberry saw fly. By the time I know they are there, they have already eaten most of the foliage. Anyone know any way of preventing them in the first place?

Mick

Re: Gooseberry Saw Fly

Sorry Mick - I don't.
I've 'lost everything' too, but only once. I didn't do anything different to the bushes the following, or subsequent, year(s), yet all was well and I got a good crop.

I hope somebody comes along with the answer for you

Re: Gooseberry Saw Fly

Keep looking--it`s not the fly but the larvae that do the damage. Google for ways to treat it.

And if you do have time keep checking the leaves

Re: Gooseberry Saw Fly

Hi Mick ,I put a gooseberry bush in last year and it was doing really well then I looked at it one day last summer and all the leaves were gone overnight and it was crawling with caterpillars . I picked them off with tweezers and dropped them in a mug of hot water and disinfectant.

Apparently the larvae pupate in the soil over the winter and crawl up the bush . I don't use pesticides so I am going to remove the mulch from the base of my bush and put some new compost down, then a layer of black weed prevention fabric which I am hoping they can't crawl through.

I will also check my bush daily from April till September with tweezers at the ready..