We have a black current bush thats produces lots of berries, but the problem is we can't use the berries, they have a "little white worm" in them. Should we cut the bush down? dig it up? buy a new one? (actually we dug it up a few years ago and it came back) Help!!!! and many thanks.
This same problem occured and was answered in this thread. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=3768 Hope the link works. Ian
I think I screwed up the link, so here is a copied version of the answer. It sounds like your currants are home to the currant fruit fly, or gooseberry maggot, Epochra canadensis. The adult flies are about 1/4cm long, yellow to orange in color, and have dark bands across the wings. In the spring, female flies lay eggs just under the skin of developing currant or gooseberry fruit. Hatching maggots burrow under the skin and feed in the berries. Infested berries turn reddish and may drop, sometimes causing severe fruit loss. The mature white maggots are about 1/2cm long and tapered at the head. They drop from the fruit to the soil, where they overwinter as small, brownish, pupae about the size of wheat grains. Adult fruit flies typically emerge in mid- to late April and May. Uninfested plants can be covered with a floating row cover during adult emergence in April; however, as with your case, this technique will be ineffective on previously infected plants unless the infestation has been eradicated. There are no effective insect predators or chemical products to deal with this pest. A plastic sheet can be placed under the currant bushes prior to fruit drop in order to prevent maggots from infested berries from getting into the soil to overwinter. The fallen berries will need to be collected daily and disposed of in the garbage, not the compost.
