How to protect and get rid of wasps on grapes during its ripening, what to do to fight
People who grow grapes are wary of wasps. Often these insects attack the grown plants and destroy the set berries. To protect bushes from pests, you need to figure out how to protect grapes from wasps.
What harm do wasps do to grapes?
Before proceeding with the protection of cultivated grape bushes, it is necessary to clarify exactly how wasps harm this plant. Insects attack bushes during fruit ripening. They swoop down on ripe berries and eat their flesh, after which the skin remains on the brushes. Over time, damaged berries begin to deteriorate and rot. Rot gradually spreads to adjacent brushes, which spoils most of the crop.
Not all plant varieties are attacked by insects. They choose grape varieties in which the berries are covered with a thin skin. They will not be able to break through the surface of thick-skinned fruits. In this case, they gnaw a little on the surface of the skin, after which they look for other ripe fruits.
If you do not protect grape seedlings from wasps in a timely manner, you can lose 60% of the harvest.
Most of all, people who sell fruit suffer from such pests. Damaged bunches of grapes are difficult to sell, as they have lost their presentation and are poorly stored.
Ways to deal with wasps
To preserve ripe grapes, you need to figure out how to save them and how to protect them from insect attacks. There are different methods for eliminating wasps, which are best known in advance.
Experienced growers advise using active methods when fighting insects, as they are considered effective. When using this method, gardeners will have to destroy hornets' nests on their own. You should figure out in advance how to get rid of each nest with your own hands. When performing this procedure, you must adhere to all safety rules so as not to harm yourself.
There are several guidelines to follow when dealing with wasps in a vineyard:
- measures to destroy nests are carried out only at night, when insects are less active;
- the procedure is carried out in a special protective suit of the beekeeper.
There are three ways to get rid of a wasp nest:
- Set fire. Often the nests are located near the walls of wooden buildings, and therefore, before burning them, one should read the fire safety rules.
- Drown.To carry out such a procedure, you will need to fill a bucket of water and press it against the nest so that it is immersed in the liquid.
- Spray with aerosol. Several aerosol insect repellents are available. Most of them are ineffective, and therefore the nests will have to be processed 4-5 times.
Chemicals
Sometimes it is not possible to get rid of the wasps without chemical treatment and therefore you have to spray the bushes with special preparations. Before using pest control, you need to figure out how and what grapes are processed.
Insecticides
When processing grapes, insecticidal preparations are used that have no odor. If you use such means, the wasps will die immediately after attacking the bushes. Before using insecticides, you should understand the nuances of preparing a working solution. To create it, you will have to add about 50-80 grams of the drug to ten liters of water, after which you can spray the seedlings.
The protective effect from a one-time treatment lasts more than 30 days, and therefore repeated spraying with an insecticide solution is carried out in a month.
Boric acid
Boric acid is considered a reliable folk remedy for removing wasps from vineyards. Such a solution is distinguished by an intestinal effect, due to which the pests die immediately after the penetration of the agent into their stomach. Under the influence of boric acid, the muscles of wasps are paralyzed, which leads to their death.
When creating a spray agent, 25 grams of acid is added to two liters of water. The liquid is stirred thoroughly for about five minutes to dissolve the crystals.
Mechanical destruction
Some growers refuse to use chemicals and prefer a mechanical method of protecting plants from wasps.
Traps
You can save grapes from pests using several effective traps made from plastic bottles. Using this method, you can get rid of several hundred individuals in a day. When making a trap, a neck is cut out from each bottle. Then the container is fixed on the bushes with scotch tape. When all the traps are hung, bait is put in them. To do this, use beer, lemonade, liquid jam or syrup.
Grids
Bunch protection nets do not kill wasps, but only protect the crop from them. This method is perfect for growers who grow only a few bushes in the garden.
To protect the bunches from pests, they are placed in transparent nets. The main disadvantage of this method is considered its laboriousness, since it will take a lot of time to seal each brush.
Helpful tips from gardeners
To quickly eliminate wasps and protect grapes from them, you will have to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of experienced winegrowers. These include the following:
- mechanical destruction of nests should be done only in early autumn or in spring;
- when burning nests, you need to douse them with gasoline in advance;
- if traps for eliminating individuals are used in the spring, then fish are suitable for bait, since there is a lot of protein in it;
- it is necessary to carry out any measures to eliminate wasps in a special suit that the wasps cannot pierce with their bite.
Conclusion
Grape growers who have grown grape seedlings for a long time often face attacks from wasps. To protect plants from them, you will have to familiarize yourself with the main methods of pest control.
