I too live in west Sussex and by lovely berberis hedge that stops our postie climbing over our front garden is now reduced to sad looking sticks, although interestingly not the bit near the house. Perhaps they are working there way from one end to the other. I think a severe haircut and some major research on pesticide free methods is due. I think I will hunt out an umbrella!
I am having these problems with my Berberis, which has been in my garden for more than 20 years. It has been beautiful every year for as long as I can remember in that time. Last year, 2009, I noticed that my bush was stripped bare, as described by all. I decided at the end of last to cut it back totally and was going to dig it up. I did not dig it up thinking it might not be totally dead. To my horror, this year, 2010, it has almost immediately come back to life but within a very short space of time is devoid of leaves. My patio is already stained with all the droppings from either the catterpillar or the larvae. Is it recommended that I get rid of the plant, as it is in a very obvious area of my garden and looks awful. Will it ever recover. I did spray it last year but so far, have not done so this year. The trunk looks very crumbly and dead!! Will this "bug" kill everything else around it. If so, I am in trouble!! Please help.
I posted the last comment and didn't mention where I was from. I would like some feed back on my questions, there don't appear to be any replies to other comments. Thank you in advance
Reply to anonymous Berberis is usually a tough cookie and the bushes in East Dulwich have recovered even though they are periodically stripped in small(ish) areas where the sawflies are still active. The only thing I can suggest is vigilance, knocking the caterpillars off and destroying them when you see them. The good news is that the caterpillars are not known to attack any other garden plants.
Half of my Berberis hedge (Greater Manchester) was looking a bit peeky first thing yesterday. I pondered on shortage of water, lawn weedkiller drift, that kind of thing, then looked up 'leaf drop' and came across this page. I clouted a couple of bushes and about 30-50 caterpillars fell off. By tea time the unaffected half of the hedge was showing the strain. So, today I sprayed thiacloprid (Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, B&Q) which should control it according to http://www.rhs.org.uk/Science/Plant-pests/Berberis-sawfly ; let's see. It's the first time I've had to spray for anything in at least five years.
We noticed our Berberis looking slightly ill a couple of days ago, we normally have a fantastic thick bush all summer, just popped out to further investigate and omg....loads of flies and catterpillars!!! The web is a brill thing to be able to identify the prob within minutes, sawflies, had the bush for years and this is first time its been attacked! We live in Gloucestershire.
I have noticed my berberis hedge around my front garden looking bare, although it usually holds out really well during dry weather. I clipped it yesterday and today my compost wheelie bin is covered with caterpillars and the bin full of what I know to be sawfly. I had seen a lot of flying insects in the garden but did not realise the damage they were doing inside the hedge.
Planted a Berberis hedge last summer and three weeks ago noticed that the leaves and been eaten by sawfly caterpillers. They are easy to knock off, just placed a cardboard box under the bush and give it a shake, killed the rest off with a spay. I live in Bristol
I live in Leicstershire and the year my 28 year old berberis front hedge has been devoured and i'm not happy as it was my late husbands pride and joy. Have read all advise above and will try it all....heres hoping.
I give in! My once magnificent hedge has been cut down and dug out. I suffered three consecutive years of heartbreak watching my hedge being decimated. Now that it has gone my front garden receives more light and I can plan a new border. When one door closes......
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Berberis is usually a tough cookie and the bushes in East Dulwich have recovered even though they are periodically stripped in small(ish) areas where the sawflies are still active. The only thing I can suggest is vigilance, knocking the caterpillars off and destroying them when you see them. The good news is that the caterpillars are not known to attack any other garden plants.