grape vine bugs

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AuntAnne College Station, TX(Zone 8b) May 06, 2007

My sweetie has a grape vine that has some black bugs all over (or should I say under) the leaves. They're eating the leaves. What should he use?

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CoreHHI Bluffton, SC(Zone 9a) May 07, 2007

Spray them down with soap and water is the safest.

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AuntAnne College Station, TX(Zone 8b) May 07, 2007

We did that last summer and the vine died back down to the ground. We were very surprised to see it come back this year. He's claimed since that I tried to kill it, because I'm the one who suggested it. lol

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CoreHHI Bluffton, SC(Zone 9a) May 07, 2007

That's not what did it. Do you have the right grapes for your climate? Grapes are pretty picky in the locations they like to grow. Where I am there's to much humidity for most grapes, end result will always be death by fungus unless you have the right ones. Maybe your grape vine is going to be constantly attacked by some local bug?? Just a thought.

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AuntAnne College Station, TX(Zone 8b) May 07, 2007

well, I don't remember right at this moment what the variety is, but what he asks is, what is the correct portion of water to soap? Perhaps he didn't dilute it correctly.

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bettydee La Grange, TX(Zone 8b) May 08, 2007

You need to identify the bug that is attacking the grapevine to make sure they are not carriers of diseases. Neem Oil is an organic contact pesticide. It blocks the trachea in insects. It will kill bees and other insects so it has to be used when the beneficial insects are not present, but it is safe around pets and humans.

One pest to be leery of is the glassy winged sharpshooter. It is a sucking insect that introduces a virus which kills grapevines. It is found in all of Texas. So it's wise to plant grapevines that are immune or resistant to the virus.

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scottfsmith Baltimore, MD May 08, 2007

Annie those bugs are called flea beetles I believe (Google for pics). They don't respond to neem or oil or soap so don't bother trying. I am an organic grower and I just hand pick them at night - I have picked off hundreds in some years; most years there are hardly any of them. The non-organic growers use Sevin or similar.

Scott

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AuntAnne College Station, TX(Zone 8b) May 08, 2007

Yes Scott that is what they look like, except there are hundreds of them. The underside of the leaves are just black with them. I suggested to him that he use the water hose on them but he feels that the leaves are too small and tender and that the pressure would damage as well. So will take a look at them this weekend when I go up there.

Anne

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