Help urgently needed

[LyndaB]

We have been infested with a tiny bug over the weekend. It is about half an inch long, is striped and looks a bit like a tiny centipede. There are absolutely thousands of them, and they are crawling all up the side of the front door and all over the garden path. Also, a red prickly shrub which we have had for about 14 years has suddenly died. I think the two things might be connected. Can anyone help in identifying the bugs, and give advice in how to get rid of them please???

[Kiki-frog]

Can you take a pic and post it, Lynda? What colour is it?

[LyndaB]

Black and white

[Kiki-frog]

I'm wondering if it could be a caterpillar of some kind. If you could post a pic via photobucket or similar, that would be great

[LyndaB]

Don't know how to put a pic on here unfortunately. But although they look a bit like centipedes, they do actually move like caterpillars. If I knew what the dead shrub was that might help to identify the little pests. It has dark red leaves that turn bright scarlet in autumn. As well as the little leaves it has sharp needles as well. The leaves had disappeared almost overnight - they haven't fallen off like they usually do in autumn

[Kiki-frog]

I'll ask my OH later, Lynda. He's a professional gardener and would probably know.

[follyfancier]

if the shrub is Berberis it could be the Berberis Sawfly

[jno]

if you can get a photo onto your computer, upload it to a site like tinypic.com; it will give you a link that you can copy here, and people will be able to click on it to see your photo

[HowardKennitby]

Here is a pic of FollyFanciers suggestion. Is this it?

http://thebigbuzz.wor...ry/berberis-sawflies/

[LyndaB]

Yes, that looks like it. I thought they were black and white but closer inspection reveals that they are in fact yellow and black. As the shrub is just outside. the front door, these grubs are making their way round the front door!! I hate the shrub anyway, so I'm not too worried about that. I will do some research on them to see how best to get rid of them, apparently they have few natural predators

[Kiki-frog]

Ah, someone's come up with an answer. OH said berberis sawfly as well, and unfortunately the only way to get rid of them is by chemical spray, such as pyrethrum, but obviously it's a bit too late to save your shrub. Now that their food supply has gone, they'll die anyway.