A pest dangerous for the crop - gooseberry sawfly and methods of effective control of it

The sawfly is the most harmful insect that can reduce the yield by 95% not only for gooseberries, but also for currants. The danger is represented by pale-footed and yellow gooseberry sawflies. When the first signs of their vital activity are found, it is important to take immediate action. How to deal with a sawfly on a gooseberry, learn from the article.

Signs of damage to the gooseberry by a sawfly

The main damage is caused by caterpillars of yellow and pale-legged sawflies. They are fast gnaw leavesleaving only veins.

The second, third and fourth generations are especially dangerous, since they are considered the most voracious.

How to recognize a pest

The adults of the yellow sawfly are reddish-yellow, and those of the pale-footed one are black, interspersed with light spots on the body and legs. The length of these insects is no more than 8 mm. Their larvae belong to the group of false caterpillars with 10 pairs of legs. The length of the larvae ranges from 1 to 1.8 cm.

The female lays eggs on the underside of the leaves. Therefore, during spring inspection of the bushes, numerous clutches are often found.

The first spring generation lives for 20-25 days. During this time, insects eat up half of the green mass of the bush. Then they fall to the ground and pupate.

The second generation begins to harm during the flowering of the plant, the third and fourth - during the fruiting period.

Harm done

The harmfulness depends on the generation. The first brood remains unnoticed. Insects eat the leaves that have just appeared. Then give life to the second wave pests.

The next generation attacks currants, then goes to gooseberries. In 1-2 weeks, they completely eat up the bushes. The gooseberry weakens, stops growing, loses its resistance to low temperatures.

The third and fourth waves continue to hit the gooseberries. The berries are small and fall off prematurely. The productivity of the bushes is declining, and the future harvest does not ripen.

Reference. As the gooseberry weakens, it is further affected by various diseases. These are powdery mildew, scab, septoria, anthracnose, rust, gray rot. The pest, paired with the disease, completely destroys the plantings, it is impossible to save them.

Reasons for defeat

The main reasons are drought, warm autumn and insect love for herbaceous plants. Human negligence does not play a special role here. Sawflies spread by migration, leaving many millions of offspring. Caterpillars survive in any conditions, safely devouring all crops.

Insects are attracted by the content of pungent or bitter alkaloids in the leaves of gooseberries, red and black currants. The gardener is only required to destroy the brood, to carry out preventive measures.

Ways to get rid of a sawfly on a gooseberry

Killing the sawfly is a difficult task, especially in the summer. If in the spring it is possible to cope with a small population, then with the second and subsequent generations, the struggle only becomes more complicated.

To get rid of, chemicals, folk remedies, agrotechnical and mechanical methods are used.

Chemicals

Applied in critical cases. Do not use during gooseberry flowering and fruiting.In the first case, chemicals will cause the death of bees and bumblebees, in the second - poisoning of berries.

Popular tools and instructions for their use:

1. "Kinmix". Insecticide with intestinal action. Sold in 2.5 ml ampoules for small areas. One ampoule is diluted in 10 liters of water, the plants are sprayed. Working fluid consumption - up to 1-1.5 liters per bush. Use within 6 hours after dilution, otherwise the drug will lose its properties. 1-2 treatments are performed for the entire season: before flowering and after harvest.
2. "Karate". Broad-spectrum insecticide. Available in 2 ml capsules for small garden areas. 1 ml of the drug is dissolved in 1 l of water, brought to a volume of 10 l. Spray the leaves from all sides. The consumption of the working staff is 0.3-0.5 liters per bush. Be sure to alternate with drugs of a similar action, otherwise the pests will get used to the insecticide. Shrubs are processed 1 time - before flowering or after harvesting.
3. «Decis Lux "... Available in 5 ml ampoules. In 10 l of water, dissolve 5 ml of the drug, use for spraying for 4 hours. Liquid consumption - 2 liters per bush. Frequency of application - 2 times with an interval of 2 weeks: before flowering or after the end of fruiting.

Toxic chemicals are dangerous to the human body, therefore, work with them only in protective clothing and gloves. Spraying is carried out early in the morning or in the evening, 8 hours before the rain.

Traditional methods

Apply at any stage of gooseberry formation. They are safe for plants and humans. In addition to protection, many compounds feed the bushes well with potassium, phosphorus, cobalt, fluorine, iodine.

Effective folk remedies and tips for their use:

1. Chamomile infusion. 1 kg of plants is finely chopped, poured with hot water, infused for 10-12 hours, filtered. 1/2 of the infusion is diluted in 5 liters of water, a bar of laundry soap (crushed) is added. The resulting composition is sprayed on the bushes.
2. Wormwood infusion. 1.2 kg of grass is poured into 10 liters of water. Insist 3 days, filter, add 70 g of baking soda. The resulting composition is sprayed on the bushes.
3. Coniferous tincture. 2 kg of coniferous branches are poured into 10 liters of water. Insist 6-8 days, filter. Dilute with water 3 times. Thoroughly spray the bushes, leaves on both sides.

The treatment is repeated every 7-10 days. It is useful to add 1-2 tbsp to tinctures. wood ash. Spraying is carried out only in the morning or in the evening. If it rains afterwards, the procedure is repeated.

Agrotechnical techniques

The recommendations are as follows:

1. The gooseberry bush is regularly inspected for cobwebs or plaque, curled up or gnawed leaves.
2. Fallen branches, fruits, leaves are collected and burned. This is how the hatching of the larvae is prevented.
3. Water only at the root. Change the mulch every 2-3 weeks.
4. The bush is formed by removing old, deformed and dry branches.
5. Do not thicken. Colonies caterpillars move quickly from one plant to another.
6. Siderates are planted nearby: oregano, garlic, mustard, green onions. The intense plant smell will keep insects away.

Mechanical methods

The caterpillars are harvested before processing the gooseberries. To do this, place a white cloth under the bush and shake the branches vigorously.

When frightened, the pests curl up into a ring and fall down. The fabric is carefully folded and burned together with the caterpillars.

Features of pest control in different periods

Experienced gardeners recommend remembering the main rules:

1. In the resting stage, chemicals are used.
2. During the flowering and fruiting period, folk remedies and mechanical methods are acceptable.
3. After harvesting, pesticides are used again.
4. If, during fruiting, the caterpillars get inside the berries, they are picked by hand and burned. After the bush is treated with folk remedies or biological products.

Sawfly tolerant gooseberry varieties

Breeders managed to develop gooseberry varieties that are most resistant to insect attacks:

• early ripe - Ural emerald, Prune, Spring;
• mid-season - Grushenka, Kolobok, Northern Captain;
• late ripening - Defender, Cooperator, Leningrad.

If you do not care for gooseberries, pests will eat even resistant varieties. Timely pruning and preventive measures are required.

Preventive measures

The following types of work will reduce the risk of a sawfly:

1. At the end of October, plant residues are piled up and burned. The earth is loosened. If there were too many pests, the topsoil is replaced with a new one. 10 cm is enough.
2. At the same time, the trunk circle is covered with dense black agrofibre. The material will prevent the surviving larvae from rising to the surface.
3. In early spring, after the snow melts, the soil around the gooseberry is spilled with boiling water. He will destroy the surviving caterpillars.
4. After that, old, diseased and dry branches are removed. Sections are covered with wood ash.
5. Loosens the soil after each watering. Remove all weeds. The trunk circle is mulched with straw or humus.

Good advice and mistakes to avoid

Experienced gardeners do not recommend planting gooseberries in the place where black or red currants previously grew. These crops have common pests and diseases.

Resistant varieties should be selected, preventive measures and mechanical methods should not be neglected. The chemicals are applied only before flowering and after harvest. If currants grow nearby, they are processed simultaneously with gooseberries.

Conclusion

Sawflies are the most dangerous gooseberry pests. The implementation of preventive measures will prevent the appearance of caterpillars. If they are already eating the bushes, chemicals and folk remedies will come to the rescue.