Mealybugs are a feared enemy in the vineyards in California, Oregon, South Africa, and other places. These tiny bugs are dangerous because they spread the leaf roll virus (court noué in France) which causes the vine’s leaves to turn red and shrivel with reduced harvest volume as a result. Infected vines only live for 15–20 years and produce lower quality.
One way to combat mealybugs is to buy canned predatory insects that you release into the vineyard. That is precisely what the well-known South African winery Vergelegen is doing. Together with the companies SkyBugs and Aerobotics, they release predatory wasps and ladybug beetles, indigenous to South Africa, on their vineyards. SkyBugs provides the insects, while Aerobotics supplies the drones that drop them from 30 meters (in the pupa stage) above the vines.
A natural way to keep the vineyards free at least from this pest.
Read more: vergelegen
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine. 2025 tour soon to be launched.
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