What pests attack blackcurrant?

Big bud mite, Scale insects, Vine weevil

Blackcurrant pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which blackcurrant problems need quick action?

Honey fungus: Peel back the bark at the base — a creamy-white, paper-thin sheet of fungus between bark and wood that smells strongly of mushrooms confirms it; the bark at the base may crack and bleed.

Ribes nigrum

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for blackcurrant in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	5
Pests	3
Diseases	2
Need quick action	1

How to grow blackcurrant · All pests and diseases

Pests

Big bud miteIn late winter some buds are abnormally swollen and round, like tiny cabbages, instead of slim and pointed.Photo: jensu, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Scale insectsSticky honeydew on leaves or on surfaces below the plant, often with black sooty mould.Photo: BARAKAT2011, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vine weevilPlants wilt and die from autumn to spring because the grubs have eaten the roots; plants in pots suffer most.Also called: black vine weevilPhoto: Opuntia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Which blackcurrant problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Honey fungus: Black or brown root-like cords ("bootlaces") on the roots and in the soil, mostly in the top 15 cm.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.