Moth on gooseberries: control and prevention measures

Gooseberry moth is a dangerous pest that infects berry bushes at high speed. The caterpillars that eat the buds and the leaf plate to the veins do more damage to the bushes. In the season of mass reproduction, insects can destroy the entire plant, so it is necessary to start treatment with chemical or folk remedies at the first sign.

What does gooseberry moth look like

The gooseberry moth belongs to the Lepidoptera order, the moth family. This is a small butterfly with a beautiful color. It can be recognized by the following external indicators:

• the wingspan of a butterfly is 45-50 mm;
• wings are painted in snow-white-lemon color with pronounced black spots;
• the insect has a black head, the yellow abdomen is covered with dark dots;

  

• ten-legged caterpillar up to 40 cm long;
• the back of the caterpillar is painted snow-white with diamond-shaped black spots;
• light yellow belly covered with numerous, small dark spots;
• head, thoracic shield, legs – black;
• the pupa is black with lemon transverse stripes.

Gooseberry moth caterpillars overwinter in fallen vegetation. In early spring, the insect emerges from its hiding place and begins to eat buds and young foliage. During this period, pests cause great harm to the berry crop, as a result of which the plant loses strength and weakens. The adult pupates on the inside of the leaf, on shoots, in the root zone or on the walls of nearby buildings. The cocoon is located in a thin web, so it is not difficult to detect it.

The pupa develops for about 25 days. In the middle of summer, the winged gooseberry moth appears from the pupae, which, after fertilization, begins to lay eggs on the inside of the leaf.

The butterfly is nocturnal, during the day it hides in the foliage. After 2 weeks, voracious caterpillars appear from the eggs. At the end of summer, before the beginning of leaf fall, the caterpillar wraps itself in a cobweb cocoon, falls to the ground and stays there for the winter. Shelter from frost is fallen leaves, therefore, after leaf fall, it is necessary to collect all plant debris and burn it.

Signs of a pest

When a pest appears on the foliage of gooseberries or currants, numerous through holes appear. During a mass defeat, the caterpillars are able to gnaw the foliage completely.

You can also find gooseberry moth in the evening or at night. Beautiful small butterflies will fly above the plant, which make mass oviposition on the inside of the leaf.

How dangerous is the appearance of a moth on gooseberry bushes

When the gooseberry moth appears, there is a danger – this is the lack of a crop and the loss of a bush. Young, voracious individuals quickly eat up foliage to the very veins, which leads to a weakening of the bush, stunting and development. Flowering is weak, the yield drops. Various diseases begin to appear on a weakened plant, thereby weakening it completely. Such a bush will not prepare for winter and will die when cold weather sets in.

In order not to encounter difficulties and preserve the berry culture, it is necessary to take preventive measures in a timely manner. And when the gooseberry moth appears, start immediate treatment with folk remedies, chemical or biological products.

How to deal with gooseberry moth folk remedies

Very often, experienced gardeners ignore chemicals, thereby saving the environment and beneficial insects that carry out pollination and feed on pollen from flowers. Gardeners fight with gooseberry moth mechanically and with folk remedies.

Mechanical way to deal with gooseberry moth:

• manual collection of caterpillars;
• destruction of cocoons;
• use of adhesive belts;
• cleaning the trunk from plant residues.

The fight against gooseberry moth without the use of chemicals:

1. A decoction of tomato leaves. 1 kg of chopped tops is poured into 10 liters of water and left to infuse for 4-5 hours. Next, the bucket is put on fire and after boiling, boil over low heat for about 3 hours. The cooled broth is filtered and diluted with water in equal proportions.
2. Infusion of burdock. Finely chop the burdock leaves, fill the bucket by 1/3 of the volume and fill it with water. The solution is left for 3 days in a warm room, after which the gooseberry and currant bushes are filtered and processed.
3. Milkweed decoction. 4 kg of rod-shaped milkweed is poured into 5 liters of water. The broth is boiled for 3 hours, cooled and filtered. The finished solution is poured into a 10 l bucket and added to the brim with clean water. The first treatment of the bushes is carried out when caterpillars appear, the second – 5 days after the first.
4. Hot peppers. 100 g of crushed chili peppers are poured into 1 liter of water, boiled for about an hour and left for 3 days to infuse. Before processing 1 tbsp. l. the solution is diluted in 10 liters of water with the addition of 50 ml of liquid soap.
5. Infusion of wormwood. 1 kg of crushed wormwood is combined with 2 liters of water and boiled for 10-15 minutes. The cooled and filtered infusion is poured into a 10 l bucket and water is added to the brim. Processing is carried out 1 time in 7 days.
6. Tansy powder. Flowers, leaves and shoots are dried and ground into powder. Affected bushes are powdered in the early morning or evening, in dry weather.

How to get rid of moths on gooseberries with chemicals

In case of mass infection, at the beginning of the growing season, you can use chemical preparations. But it must be remembered that they are toxic to the human body and to pets.

After using chemicals, all open areas of the skin are washed with water, and if it gets on the mucous membrane, it is better to see a specialist soon.

Commonly used chemicals:

• Bromophos;
• Karbofos;
• Girls;
• Inta-vira;
• Peremetrin.

The fight against moth on gooseberries with biological products

If there is no time to prepare folk remedies, and the gooseberry moth attacked the plant during the fruiting period, gardeners use biological preparations. They are harmless to humans and animals, but have a detrimental effect on insect pests. In addition, these preparations contain beneficial microorganisms that positively affect the growth and development of the plant.

These drugs include:

1. Bithoxybacillin – after processing, the drug enters the body of the caterpillar through the foliage and affects the gastrointestinal tract. After a few days, the insect loses the ability to eat foliage and dies.
2. Dendrobacillin – processing of the bush is carried out during the growing season. The number of treatments depends on the degree of infection. Caterpillars die 3-4 days after treatment.
3. Lepidocid – insecticidal biological preparation of intestinal action. When the drug enters the body, the caterpillar is paralyzed, and it dies.

Preventive measures

So that the gooseberry moth does not damage the currant and gooseberry bushes, and also does not destroy the crop, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures. For this:

1. In autumn, all fallen vegetation is collected and burned.
2. Deep loosening of the root zone.
3. For the winter, the near-stem circle is covered with a film or roofing material so that in the spring the hatched caterpillars cannot attack the bush.
4. When single individuals are found, manual collection should be carried out.
5. Treatment with folk remedies before bud break after flowering and harvest.

Conclusion

Gooseberry moth causes great harm to berry bushes. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner and comply with agrotechnical rules. If a pest is found, you can use chemical, biological preparations, as well as herbal decoctions. Daily inspection of the bushes for the presence of pests will save the plant and collect a bountiful harvest of tasty and healthy berries.