More and more summer residents want to grow grapes: for sale or for personal use. Wasps cause serious damage to crops. Literally 2-3 bitten berries will ruin the appearance of the bunches. The insidiousness of wasps is not only that they spoil the fruits, the insects are also difficult to remove! Many control methods are suitable for small areas, but plantation owners will not have it easy, since insecticides that are harmful not only to pests will be effective over a large area. Chemical treatment is the only way out, but then the harvest will no longer be so natural and healthy - wouldn’t it be better to buy grapes in a store?
Introduction
Creating optimal conditions for the growth and fruiting of grapes is not everything.
The berry harvest must be preserved and protected from all external threats. One way to preserve berries is to use special bags that surround the bunches and protect them from all unwanted contact.
The technique is effective, but has its own characteristics and limitations. Let's take a closer look at this issue next.
What are grape bags
Bags for grapes (otherwise known as protective nets) are containers made of mosquito nets with ties at the neck. There are many models of different sizes designed to fit small, medium or large grapes.
Sometimes you can place several bunches in one bag, the main thing is that they are not crowded and do not interfere with the formation of berries.
For the manufacture of such bags, polypropylene is mainly used. This is an environmentally friendly material that does not change its performance properties due to exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation or other climatic influences.
If the bags are not damaged during harvesting or caring for the crop, they can be reused for the next season (or several seasons).
Many users prefer not to buy bags, but to sew them themselves. To do this, use a mosquito net, the performance of which fully meets all existing requirements:
- strength, reliable protection of bunches from attacks by insects and birds;
- free access of air;
- cut off rain moisture - drops of water fall on the waterproof mesh and immediately flow down;
- inability for wasps, midges and other pests to penetrate inside;
- durability, reusable.
It is noteworthy that such bags are used not only by winegrowers. They are successfully used in growing vegetables, fruits, and other crops. In addition, the so-called fruit bowls, nets for storing vegetables and fruits.
Externally, they differ little from protective bags and are made of the same material. The use of fruit allows one to abandon polyethylene, which is not capable of creating optimal conditions for agricultural products.
What are they needed for
Grapes are a favorite delicacy not only for people, but also for many insects. Wasps have a special taste for berries, which can smell grapes several kilometers away.
At the same time, the wasp is not content with one berry, she bites into several of them at once. Since wasps are social insects, you can be sure that after a visit from one, a whole swarm will soon be feasting on the vineyard.
Once bitten, the berry will no longer be able to recover; it begins to rot and mold, infecting neighboring grapes. Eventually, the entire bunch will die. The wasp invasion begins in mid-May and continues throughout the summer, so the issue of protecting the vineyard is extremely relevant.
In addition to wasps, birds and midges pose a danger to crops. The bags are also effective against them, providing reliable protection against these pests.
The mesh size allows free passage of air, but is too small for insects (the mesh has a weave density of 1 mm).
Plantations for industrial purposes are operated by wealthy organizations that allow themselves the mass processing of plants from the air. For small winegrowers, such methods are usually not available, and installing traps does not give the expected effect.
In addition, the treatment of already developing berries with pesticides is prohibited, so you have to resort to other methods of protection.
Installing the bags is quite a labor-intensive task if the vineyard is large. However, for small garden plantings this method is the most economical and effective.
Damage caused by wasps
When growing grapes, the berries, when ripe, begin to emit a pleasant smell for wasps, which feed on fruits and berries. All spiders, larvae and other pests are destroyed, but they attack the grapes, and specifically the ripe bunches, filled with juice and rich in carbohydrates. These insects have excellent jaws, so they can easily gnaw through the skin and eat the flesh. The catch here is that they do not completely spoil the berries, but, leaving a little behind, fly to new ones. Ruslan will tell you about growing and caring for grape varieties in this material.
From one berry, the wasps quickly spread to the entire cluster, and then along the vine - to the vineyard.
The midges finish the job. The grapes become a breeding ground for bacteria, then the entire bunch is affected and, finally, the vineyard rots. This is how a small insect can destroy an entire tree!
Until cracks appear on the fruit, the vineyard is not very attractive to wasps. So one of the means of prevention may be to inspect the grapes for damage. The attack of wasps is a consequence of the raid of birds: they are the ones who most often peck at the berries, so the problem is much deeper and a comprehensive solution is needed. This link will tell you about the Libya grape variety.
Specifications
Standard grape bags have the following performance characteristics:
- dimensions - 22x33 cm, 28x40 cm, 25x44 cm, 30x50 cm;
- color - green, red, purple;
- mesh cell size - 1mm;
- material - polypropylene or polyethylene of primary production;
- quantity per bundle - 50 pcs, one package contains 10 bundles;
- price - from 4 to 14 rubles/piece.
The parameters given apply to popular commercially available products. However, there are no strict standards for bags; any changes to one or another parameter of the finished models are possible.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Simplicity of design, easy installation and removal of nets from bunches.
- Light weight, no load on plant branches.
- Reusable, long service life.
- High efficiency, reliable protection.
- Environmental safety, absence of harmful emissions or changes in properties due to external influences.
- Low cost, accessible to the general public.
- The need to select the size of the bag for each variety or bush.
- Installation and removal of protection is done manually, which requires time and a large number of workers.
- If installed inaccurately, there may be excessive pressure on the berries, preventing their normal development.
The main problem is that it takes a lot of time to install the bags on all the bunches available in the vineyard. Therefore, the use of such protection methods is typical only for relatively small areas.
It is noteworthy that many experts do not see much benefit in mesh bags.
Expert opinion
Kislyar Yuri Borisovich
61 years old, Voronezh, has been growing grapes for 15 years
“I tried to protect the grapes using different methods, installing mirror disks, threads, foil, fishing lines, gauze, bags made of mesh, tights and agrofibre (spunbond). A noticeable effect was obtained only from agrofibre. Under some of the protective elements, the grapes simply rot (for example, under bags of tights).”
However, if we analyze the opinions of other experts and ordinary users, we can note the clear advantage of mesh bags that can keep the berries intact.
The only serious problem unanimously considered intractable is the presence of starlings or blackbirds. These birds are distinguished by considerable intelligence and even manage to untie the strings of their bags while eating berries.
General principles
Protection from wasps when growing grapes is an operation that requires a lot of effort and time. Methods of struggle can be divided into:
- active ; destruction of nests;
- placement of poisoned baits;
- traps;
- grids;
It is recommended to use passive control methods, as they are more environmentally friendly and less harmful to humans.
To protect a small vineyard or bushes of rare varieties, a protective net is often used.
When is proactive action typically taken? Wasp nests can be located not only in vineyards, but also near human habitation . These insects are very aggressive and perceive any movement as a call to fight for food. No one wants to endure painful bites (and it is dangerous for the body of children and the elderly), so people resort to active methods.
Passive methods are used when there is no direct threat of ruining the vineyards. It's more about prevention. We must remember that wasps bring us benefits: they destroy caterpillar larvae and aphids, so insect-harmless means are used. Read about growing and caring for the Victor grape variety here.
Reviews from gardeners about protecting grapes with mesh bags
Let's consider a few reviews from amateur gardeners:
I read a lot of tips and sewed spunbond bags. Almost immediately I saw that they would not be able to work under my conditions. The canvas is too thick, the berries do not breathe and bake in the sun. We will have to urgently change to the usual mesh bags in which the berries feel normal.
Elena Filimonova
Krasnodar
Based on many years of observations, I can say that the installation of bags can only work in a complex manner. Here it is necessary not only to cover the bunches, but also to immediately install additional nets for birds along the rows, as well as install all available traps and scarers. The bags are an obstacle only for wasps, but they are not too scary for birds.
Anton Tyshchenko,
Gelendzhik
I am a beginner wine grower, so I only recently learned about the bags. I bought and installed several of them on all my bushes. It works, although it took a lot of work. I don’t have many bushes, but it’s scary to imagine how professionals with large vineyards get out of the situation. These are hundreds of workers needed.
Olga Belyaeva
Saratov
Opinions from gardeners show the undeniable benefits of bags, but also indicate the need for comprehensive methods of protection. It is necessary to analyze the growing conditions of berries and identify common pests for a given area in order to use all available methods to combat them.
conclusions
- Wasps are dangerous pests for grapes. They pierce the skin of the fruit and drink the nectar, but not completely. Insects fly to other berries and continue to spoil the harvest. And various midges “finish” the remains. Also, a grape that has compromised its integrity easily becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, and the infection spreads to the rest of the berries, the vine, and the vineyard itself. That is why it is important not to turn a blind eye to the problem.
- Decide what control measures you will take : active or passive? Active - when wasps need to be gotten rid of quickly, when their nests are located near a human house. Passive ones are essentially prevention when insects have not yet spoiled the crop: nets, repellent smoke, traps.
- Be careful when destroying nests. Wear protective clothing: thick gloves, a hat or mask with mosquito net, boots, a durable suit. Read the instructions for the chemical carefully and make sure there are no pets nearby. If the nest is located next to a residential building, you need to be extremely careful. You can burn the nest, it will be even more effective. If the wasps have somehow become accustomed to the insecticide, they will only become lethargic for a while, and then they will become even angrier.
- The easiest way to get rid of wasps is with poisoned bait or a trap. They are perfect if you are not at the dacha for a long time. But protection against wasps is a complex of measures, so it would be a good idea to use mesh synthetic bags that will not interfere with the growth of the vine.
