Well the problem is gooseberry sawfly caterpillars

Sounds like the damage has been done already. All you can do is prevent a 2nd infestation. I would suggest a systemic insecticide for this specific insect.

Thanks very much, have passed it on.

The wild gooseberries which grow in our hedgerow have this problem every year. they re-grow their leaves and fruit just the same. Not keen on using a systemic insecticide on something I am going to eat though.
Worth giving the bush a nitrogen feed to encourage it to produce new leaves.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/5551640/Organic-gardening-and-pests-the-gooseberry-sawfly.html

I too would not recommend a systemic insecticide, they're not appropriate for use on food plants unless you fancy a dose of insecticide with each fruit you eat because it will be in the tissues of the fruits. There are nematode treatments, but Isn't your daughter in the States, Hank? not sure gooseberry sawfly is an issue over there...but if it is, neem oil spray might work.

You've been eating it for the last 50 years at least.

No we have not. All the fruit we eat comes from our garden and we do not spray at all. So for the last 22 years at least, we have not had any systemic insecticide.
It may be different in America where many of the insecticides banned in Europe are still in use.

No, it's not different in America. It's a common agricultural practice worldwide.

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/brent-preston/pesticides-systemics_b_7252650.html

How times change. We used to use Derris for this. Its a good idea to start watching out for the little blighters much earlier in the season. Its sometimes possible to remove the leaf they are on when they hatch, before they spread into the surrounding places. This is challenging because the eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves...but you might catch the newly hatched caterpillars before they have had time to spread out.

Just wondering if netting the plant with fairly fine mesh (the flies aren't very big) early in the season might prevent the eggs being laid in the first place - never thought of trying this before!

But cheers, even if the bush is completely defoliated it can recover.

That's a difficult one to control. They are so ravenous.

It is different in America - the EU operates under the Precautionary Principle, whereas America does not. Which means on average, there are two thirds more pesticides used in the States that cannot be used within Europe. This does not mean our standard produce available in the supermarket is not contaminated with pesticide residues, because some are still used, but the situation is not quite so dire as it is in the States. At the moment, that is, who knows what regulations and rules will be watered down or lost altogether once we leave the EU....

I just wish it was easier to buy organic vegetables in the London area, things like organic spring greens, because many of us do not have anywhere to grow those sorts of things. But essentially, if you grow your own produce (gooseberries included) the advantage with that is NOT using systemic insecticides, otherwise what's the point...

Blah blah. You can't compare US to the UK in terms of agriculture. California alone produces more than the UK and a much broader spectrum (peaches). The US faces different issues as well and not everybody uses pesticides on everything. We feed the world. Let's just deal with the issue at hand.

The issue here is quite simple. Find a way of dealing with the sawfly which does not also poison the eaters of the fruit. So horticultural soft soap, Neem oil maybe, or as in the newspaper article, but why put pesticide in one's diet if one does not have to?

flags do fly.

Thanks for your reply, B. But no, this daughter is about 2.5 miles from me near Stockport. The other one is in California where I’ll be visiting her later this year. Can’t wait !

Have now sent all your replies to daughter who is delighted with the response and thanks you all.

Oh right, sorry, didn't realise you'd got two daughters Hank, lucky you! I never had one of those unfortunately, got two sons instead;))

Lucky you B, I too have a son who now lives with me and is a great cook. As you said - lucky me.

Oh I don't mind having sons, not complaining about that, but would have liked a daughter... not to be! I had the boys, my sister had the girls...