Grape Pest Control
Grapevines may be attacked by a variety of pests. Threats include disease, insects, birds and deer.
Common grapevine diseases include mildew, black rot, phomopsis cane and leaf spot, and fungus. Distinctive symptoms will be noticeable if the vine does fall prey to a disease. Common symptoms are discoloration of leaves, a film covering leaves, lesions on the leaves, or the decay of berries.
If your grapevine does suffer disease, a suitable fungicide may be employed to resolve the problem. But, a sufficient amount of research needs to be completed by the grapevine owner to determine the correct treatment.
A traditional precautionary treatment is copper sulphate which leaves a distinctive blue stain on the leaves until it washes off in the rain.
There is a wide array of insects only too keen to indulge themselves on your vines.
Grape berry moths lay their eggs directly on the surface of the grapes. The larva then hatch and bore into the berries leaving behind small holes and webbing between berries in evidence of the attack.
Grape leafhoppers are insects which feed on the undersides of the leaves. Fortunately, only extremely high populations of this insect can cause damage to the crop.
The Japanese beetle continues to expand its distribution within the United States. These can seriously reduce the productivity of the vine.
Rose chafers are a large beetle that feed directly on the clusters of grapes.
Fortunately, grapevines can tolerate and withstand low to moderate levels of insect damage. Typically, it is only necessary to intervene to control insects when they threaten a large portion of the leaf area or the fruit itself. Insecticides can be used to combat insect infestation.
The damage that birds can inflict on a small crop of grapes can be devastating. Surprisingly, a large flock of birds is easier to scare then individual birds. A drastic but effective solution to bird problems is to place a physical barrier over the crop. Because grapevines grow on a trellis, a protective net is realistic and easy to install. This netting will last about thirty months but should be taken off before winter to prevent ice forming on it and damaging the vine.
Visual repellents can also be used and are very easy to install. Visual repellents are quiet and simple such as aluminum pie plates. Others include artificial hawks, owls, or snakes.
There are cannons on the market that can be set on timers to give a loud blast at certain intervals to scare birds away during feeding times. However, loud noises in built-up areas are anti-social and likely to annoy neighbors. So noise based approaches may not be practical for backyard grape growers.
Deer are also a pest to grapevines particularly in early spring when shoots are just emerging and food sources for the deer are scarce. Tubular wire cages can be installed when planting to protect young plant stems from deer and rabbits. Odor repellents are extremely effective against deer. Grape growers can use the scent of human or dog hair or soap. Since coyote are natural predators to deer, using the scent of coyotes can also be highly effective.
A good crop is the fruit of investment in land, trellising, plants plus dedicated effort of care and maintenance. Preventing pests from ruining their crop investment should be a high priority for growers.
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