What's eating my american black currant?

American black currant faces currant aphids that blister and distort foliage, gooseberry sawfly caterpillars that strip leaves, and four-lined plant bug in North American gardens that creates necrotic leaf spots. Birds and small mammals also target the sweet berries at harvest. Scout leaves weekly from budbreak.

Feeding causes distinctive red or yellow blisters on upper leaf surfaces; colonies on the underside go unnoticed until damage is visible. Inspect undersides of leaves at budbreak; remove infested leaves early; treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil before populations expand.

Caterpillars defoliate the plant rapidly, starting at the centre; heavy infestations leave only bare stems and reduce the following year's fruit. Hand-pick caterpillars and eggs on small plants; apply pyrethrin or spinosad when caterpillars are young.

Nymphs and adults pierce leaf tissue leaving circular tan or brown necrotic spots that coalesce into ragged, shothole-like damage across foliage. Remove weedy border plants that host adults; spray insecticidal soap or pyrethrin targeting nymphs in late spring; remove plant debris in autumn.

Berries are stripped from the bush before or at peak ripeness. Net the bush as fruit begins to colour; for squirrels, physical exclusion with fine-mesh netting is the only reliable option.