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| Blackcurrant 'Big Bud ' mite |
Symptoms; These are more easily seen in late winter, when infested buds have become abnormally swollen and rounded (healthy buds are pointed).
Other symptoms are; Dried up buds, lack of leaves in spring, stunted foliage and few flowers.
An infested bud can contain hundreds of mites, which feed by sucking sap from the embryonic leaves within the bud.
The tiny mites (less than 1mm in length) emerge in early summer, and spread over the plant/s in search of new buds to infest.
Control; Currently there are no pesticides available to the amateur gardener.
A labourious cure for lightly infected plants is to manually remove affected buds in winter when the problem is most noticable.
If the problem is severe dispose of the plants and replace them.
There are some resistant cultivars on the market so check with your supplier before making a purchase.
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