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redcurrants

80smaniac80smaniac Posts: 17
in Problem solving

checked my redcurrant bushes on monday---after 2 and a half years they have finally bore fruit---the clusters looked healthy and blooming---checked them today and half the fruit is gone, leaves chomped and swarms of ants all over--have they ravaged them cos i cant find any caterpillars anywhere??

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Pigeons or other birds would be my guess.  The birds aren't really bothered whether the fruit is fully ripe or not.  Try netting the bushes.  Ants don't eat plants - the leaves probably have some aphids which exude a sweet liquid that the ants feed upon.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,996
    Verdun wrote (see)

    It's what happens to my gooseberries.  Always forget to net and the pesky bullfinch get my buds

    ooh matron...image

    sorry...coat's on...

     

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • 80smaniac80smaniac Posts: 17

    thanks for your help---made the mistake of thinking the birds wouldnt touch them till they started to turn red---netting now in place

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