nee naw nee naw goosegog emergency

[BroadRipple]

So I've been keeping my smart new gooseberry in its shop container while I try to work out where to put it...and admiring it...and today admired it a little more closely, and discovered MILLIONS (well, fifty plus) tiny green caterpillars munching the leaves.
I don't think they can be sawfly, as I understand those strip the plant bare overnight, and these haven't.
They're between c.2 and 10 mm long and very thin, bright green with tiny black ominous specks at the ?head end, and fairly repulsive.
WHAT ARE THEY? please help. and how to treat them, and if I plant this near my other puny goosegog, will they spread, and generally...HELP.
thanks.
arghghghg.

[binley100]

sounds like sawfly to me .......I spent a week solid picking them off my goosgogs and then decided I was fighting a losing battle .......still had a fine crop of goosgogs but whether there will be next year remains to be seen ....

[endymion]

Yes, they are, and yes they'll spread. If there are enough of them they can kill a young plant so you need to get rid of them before they grow up and breed.

If the plant is small enough you could dunk it upside down in a bucket of soapy water, it should kill them. You might also need to change the top layer of soil to get rid of any larvae that might be lurking there.

If it were me I'd keep the plant inside, or in isolation somewhere, until I was sure it was clear.

[zazen999]

Yup, sounds like it to me too.

If they are on a container plant, I'd pick it up, and use a good spray to spray them off and leave them for the birds to eat...and delay planting out until your others have been harvested.

I have to say....I prune mine in a globe shape and have only ever found 1 actual larvae...so I'm sticking with the plan. I reprune halfway through the season just to get rid of branches that start to grow up - and it does seem to keep them at bay.

[BroadRipple]

oh noooooo...so frustrating. urk. i'll try the soapy water and hope for the best...thanks very much for your help, everyone. hooray for 'tinternet!

[BroadRipple]

hold the front screen...it ISN'T SAWFLY! I looked it up and the tiny varmints aren't black-spotted, except one speck on the head end...they're just plain bright green, tiny and repulsive. help! again!
thank you team.

[mrbadexample]

They're sawfly. Kill them all. If you don't object to using a little pesticide, Provado Ultimate Bug Killer works, and you can dilute it 50/50 with water - it'll still work and you save money + use less chemicals.

They'll get the black spots as they mature.

[BroadRipple]

oh no...I was so happy that they weren't, and now I discover that they're just teenagers. Thanks MrBadExample...if I don't want to use pesticide, soapy water will do it, will it? and given how much time I've spent on turning over leaves to check for the little blighters, do I now need to do that on my currants etc? snore...