If all the leaves of the gooseberry have been eaten, you can immediately determine which factor caused the damage to the bush. The sawfly caterpillar destroys the green mass. Gooseberries are attacked by 2 varieties: pale-footed and yellow.
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How to recognize a pest, other signs of bush damage
The body length of the insect is up to 8 mm. The color ranges from red-yellow to black. In representatives of yellow caterpillars, the limbs of the same shade, and in black sawflies, are pale, which contributed to the appearance of the name (pale-footed). Adult insects lay eggs on the leaves (on the underside), so when offspring appear, the green mass of the gooseberry is quickly destroyed. Caterpillars emerge from the eggs, which feed for 1 month, and then crawl into the surface layer of the soil, where they subsequently pupate. If this process occurs before winter, pupation is delayed until spring. The midges fly up and give birth again.
Signs of gooseberry damage are the same when sawflies of different types appear:
- leaf deformation - holes appear;
- the first to disappear is the soft tissue between the veins;
- only fruits and branches remain on the bush without shoot growth.
If there are no leaves, the processes of photosynthesis are disrupted, which under normal conditions occur in the green mass of the bush. At the same time, the berries cannot form normally, which negatively affects the yield. The gooseberries will be small and low in flavor. The fruits will quickly fall off.
Pest control
Before choosing and buying funds, the condition of the bush is assessed. It is necessary to decide whether it is advisable to keep it. The key parameter is the number of leaves. If half of the green mass is preserved on the bush, it is worth starting the fight. At this stage, you can use biologics, mechanical method (manual collection of caterpillars) and herbal remedies. If the number of leaves has decreased even more, you should start using chemicals. In this case, it will not be possible to save the harvest. The use of chemicals will stop the spread of caterpillars.
Pest Control Rules:
- Before the onset of winter, the site is cleared of plant litter.
- Digging of soil is in progress; caterpillars that went to winter will rise to the surface of the earth.
- In early spring, the soil around the gooseberry is watered with boiling water. Such actions are performed before the start of the movement of juices in the branches of the plant.
- Near the gooseberry, the soil is loosened, covered with a film.
- Odors will help scare off pests from the leaves. For example, a container with tar is placed between the bushes.
- They use baits - bright yellow or red cardboard boxes covered with a viscous substance (petroleum jelly).
- When buds begin to appear, it is permissible to use a chemical to treat the plant. The insecticide is also used after flowering, as well as again after harvesting.
- The gooseberry bush is regularly examined, the affected leaves are removed mechanically.
The most effective insecticides are FOS groups and pyrethroids. Biological pesticides can be used. For prevention, folk remedies are used; the most popular is a decoction of herbs with wormwood.
Do you know how to recognize gooseberry pests?
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Read about planting gooseberries in the following article:We plant gooseberries correctly - a memo to the gardener