Gooseberry sawfly - any urgent remedies? - Vegetable Gardening Forum

Return to the Vegetable Gardening Forum | Post a Follow-Up

Gooseberry sawfly - any urgent remedies?

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by galinas 5b (My Page) on

Mon, Jun 16, 14 at 21:08

Hi,
I just discovered , that I have Gooseberry sawfly on my gooseberry bushes. Several branches lost all the leaves in less then 24 hours. If I do not spray tomorrow morning, I may loose the rest. The problem is, I do not have BT and I can't buy it in the store near me, and to order it online will be too late. I need something I can buy tomorrow in HD or Lowes. Any suggestions? It was going to be a bummer crop this year(. And the stupid birds just ignore the larva, they steal earth worms from my compost pile(.

Follow-Up Postings:

RE: Gooseberry sawfly - any urgent remedies?

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by cold_weather_is_evil Tucson 9b desert (My Page) on
Mon, Jun 16, 14 at 22:26

From Better Homes and Gardens (yeah, I know...)
The best time to control sawflies is early in their larval stage. The natural insecticide spinosad will control sawfly larvae. Conventional insecticides such as malathion are also effective. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which is an effective natural control for true caterpillars, is ineffective on sawfly larvae.

From me (yeah, I know...)
Sawfly isn't a caterpillar, so BT won't work. It's a wasp family larva.

RE: Gooseberry sawfly - any urgent remedies?

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by floral_uk 8/9 (My Page) on
Tue, Jun 17, 14 at 9:45

As with many pests, a severe blasting from the hose will dislodge a lot. You're right they can defoliate a plant if left alone. Hand picking as soon as you spot them can help too.

Post a Follow-Up

Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum.

If you are a member, please log in.

If you aren't yet a member, join now!

Return to the Vegetable Gardening Forum

Information about Posting

You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
We have a strict no-advertising policy!
If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.