Vinegar, mustard, and ammonia will help protect gooseberries from caterpillar infestations.

Gooseberry caterpillars will chew through all the leaves if left untreated. A few larvae won't consume all the foliage, but more than ten will cause significant damage to the plant. In addition to leaves, caterpillars can also gnaw on fruit.

Pest control must be immediate. Timely treatment with chemicals or natural remedies will protect gooseberries from inevitable loss of foliage and fruit.

Types of caterpillars that attack gooseberries

There are many varieties of caterpillars that eat the fruits and leaves of plants. Insects that attack gooseberries include:

Gooseberry aphid (shoot)

Gooseberry shoot aphids feed on the sap of gooseberry leaves and shoots, causing them to dry out completely. The pest's body is 1-2 centimeters long and rounded. Its chitinous covering is light green. Aphid infestations begin in early spring, as soon as buds begin to open. The first sign is curled leaves on the shoots. The peak period of infestation and spread occurs in May and June.

Gooseberry moth

The moth is a nocturnal moth. A single individual can lay up to two hundred eggs. Externally, it looks like a common moth, brownish-gray in color. Its head is covered with scales and cone-shaped. The insect overwinters as a pupa. The caterpillars reach 14 millimeters in length. Their base color is gray-green, but they have black spots on the sides, and their head is black. Only the caterpillar causes damage. It feeds on leaves and also eats the cores of gooseberries.

Yellow gooseberry sawfly

Yellow sawflies are caterpillars that feed on gooseberry and currant leaves. Their bodies reach 7-8 millimeters in length. The insect overwinters in a cocoon. Initially, the pests begin by making holes in all the leaves, then consuming them completely. It has been recorded that a colony of caterpillars can destroy all the leaves on a gooseberry bush within two weeks. The insects can also attack the fruit. The second and third generations of the pest are most dangerous to gooseberries. The first generation, in turn, attacks currants.

Kidney leaf roller

In late spring and early summer, curled, web-covered leaves appear on the leaves of most garden plants, including gooseberries. This is a sign of a budworm infestation. First-generation caterpillars are covered in small hairs and are no more than two centimeters long. A single caterpillar lays 100-150 eggs. The larvae gnaw and curl the leaves.

Gooseberry fallow deer

Gooseberry leafhopper caterpillars feed on the buds and leaves of gooseberries and currants. The larvae grow to 30-40 millimeters in length. One female lays 200-300 eggs. They attack bushes in the spring, as soon as the air temperature reaches 18-20°C.

Treatment of gooseberries with chemicals

In early spring, when you notice pests on your gooseberries, you can use chemicals to treat the bushes. By the time the berries fully ripen, all the toxic substances will evaporate, and the fruit will be safe to eat. For treatment, use the following products:

• Inta-Vir is a stomach and contact insecticide that begins to work on insects 2-3 days after plant treatment. To prepare the working solution, dissolve one tablet in a bucket of warm water. Spray the entire plant;
• Sevin is an insecticide for controlling caterpillars in early spring. Gooseberries should be sprayed before bud break. To prepare the solution, pour the contents of one packet (10 grams) into ten liters of water and stir until completely combined.

Folk remedies for controlling caterpillars on gooseberries

Since using chemicals after flowering is not recommended, folk remedies are used. You can kill caterpillars during the fruiting period:

• A solution based on 9% table vinegar, which is a good fungicide and insecticide. Prepare the mixture by adding a bucket of water and 50 ml of vinegar. Combine the ingredients, pour into a sprayer, and apply to the gooseberry bushes. Spray on cloudy days or in the evening.
• Mustard infusion. Take a cup of dry mustard powder and dissolve it in a bucket of water. Let the mixture steep for several days. Then dilute the infusion with clean water (one part solution to five parts water). Before spraying, add liquid soap to the prepared solution to help it adhere to the plant.
• Ammonia-based solution. Preparation: Take a bucket of water and dissolve 10 ml of ammonia in it. Can be used throughout the plant's growing season;

• A wormwood-based infusion. Take 5 kg of dried or fresh wormwood, chop it, and pour a bucket of water over it. Let it steep for 24 hours. Then, place it on the stove and simmer for 30 minutes. Let the infusion cool. Then strain it and dilute it 100% with clean water.
• Tobacco dust infusion. Preparation: Dissolve half a kilogram of tobacco dust in a bucket of warm water (50°C) and let it steep for two days. Then strain the mixture through cheesecloth, place it on the stove, and simmer for two hours. Once the infusion has cooled completely, dilute it one-to-one with water. Apply to the gooseberries immediately. The infusion should not be stored for long periods of time.
• Burdock infusion. Collect burdock leaves, chop them, place them in a bucket (fill halfway), add water, and let steep for 2 days. Strain the mixture, add 40 grams of liquid soap, and stir. You can substitute potato or tomato tops, milkweed, or datura for the burdock.

Prevention of caterpillars on gooseberries

Preventative measures can help reduce the likelihood of caterpillars appearing on gooseberries:

1. Rake up and burn fallen leaves under your gooseberry bushes. This is necessary because pest pupae hibernate under the dry leaves. Removing the leaves will destroy them.
2. Dig up and loosen the soil under the bushes. Some insects hide in the soil.
3. In early spring, pour boiling water over the gooseberry bush and the area around the trunk. This will kill any larvae on the shoots and in the soil.
4. Perform preventative spraying with Bordeaux mixture, which will protect the gooseberry not only from caterpillars, but also from the development of fungal diseases.

Gardeners' Tips

Even if there are no obvious signs of pests on your gooseberries, it's better to be on the safe side and spray them with an infusion made from onion peels and tobacco. Take 200 grams of onion peels and the same amount of freshly chopped onions and tobacco, and pour a bucket of water over them. Bring to a boil and simmer for two hours. Then, cool the resulting mixture, strain it, add another bucket of water, and 30 grams of liquid soap. Finally, spray the gooseberries. The solution will not harm either the plant or the beneficial insects that come into contact with it.

Folk and chemical remedies will only protect gooseberries from caterpillar infestations if you notice their appearance early and carry out a series of treatments. Better yet, take preventative measures and avoid the risk of pests nibbling all the leaves and ruining the fruit.