My little gooseberry bush got saw fly and was reduced to a bunch of sticks in weeks. I let that go as inhertited the bush and wasn't that keen. But I have planted a lot of roses in my little garden and am buggered if I'm going to have all those reduced to skeletons as well. I shall watch keenly for the bright yellow flies.
I'm wondering if the saw fly might have arrived or hatched from a new rose plant I bought this year. Or have they just sniffed me out? I've had all eight years in the house without a problem.
@Fire I think they can sniff the roses out. I planted four different varieties of roses this year, and they have only gone for one of them. There's clearly something that attracts them to that particular variety. No idea what!
I’ve had a major infestation of rose slugs for the first time too, it’s been a huge battle. These ones I have are mainly the bristly type that breed multiple times a year, plus hide under the leaves so doubly tricky to spot - no head-waving ‘here I am’ behaviour.
Also Berberis sawfly has been mega this year. Normally I have one brood, so after I pick off as many as I can, the leaves grows back and all is ok again - but I’ve just discovered a new batch of them munching away on the freshly-grown foliage. Clearly it’s been a good year for the pesky things, whatever their chosen dinner.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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ill have to keep an eye if they visit.
it looks like it's their tails wavingÂ
Here's a web site with some pictures of the adults as well as the eggs and the larvae:
https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/large-rose-sawfly
@Fire I think they can sniff the roses out. I planted four different varieties of roses this year, and they have only gone for one of them. There's clearly something that attracts them to that particular variety. No idea what!