While they may be good at hopping, they aren’t very good at flying. The best way to kill adult spotted lanternflies is by smashing or stomping them, which isn’t difficult. Unfortunately, when the adult insects are most active, in August and September, is also when harvest kicks off, making it difficult to spray pesticides to combat them. He saw the first wave of spotted lanternflies hit his vineyard in 2019. “Luckily, they are very susceptible to most insecticides, which at this point is our only line of defense,” says Mike Beneduce, vineyard manager and winemaker at Beneduce Vineyards in Pittstown, New Jersey. They take up residence in the canopy and like to feed on the stem, sucking sugar and nutrients that should otherwise be going to the grapes at a pivotal time. “The problem is when they turn into adults, usually in July.” Vineyard spraying in the morning / GettyĪt that point, they’ve run out of food sources in wooded areas, and begin moving into the outer rows of nearby vineyards at the beginning of August. “Typically, that’s when growers have to spray for Japanese beetles and a lot of other pests, and can kill the lanternflies because they don’t fly, they just jump around,” she says. That’s when, says Centinari, populations are easiest to control. Depending on how warm a region’s spring is, they emerge as nymphs sometime in early or late May. The egg masses, which can hold 30–50 eggs each, can survive cold winter temperatures, even after most of the adults have frozen to death. They produce one generation per year, explains Michela Centinari, an associate professor viticulture at Pennsylvania State University, which is leading spotted lanternfly research and public outreach efforts to fight the pest.Īdult spotted lanternflies lay their eggs in the fall. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly is primarily known to feed on the Tree of Heaven, but has a wide host range, including apples, cherries, hops, plums and grapes. “And much worse, they are sap-feeders that will destroy vines if they infest in large numbers.” He points out how much of a nuisance the jumping bugs are during events like weddings. “They can be extremely irritating to outdoor visitors at tasting rooms,” says Vietri. Vineyards in these states have suffered vine damage, as well as lost yields and revenue, as a result of these infestations. Since spotted lanternflies were first detected in Berks County, Pennsylvania in September 2014, infestations have been reported in 11 states, according to the USDA, including New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. While the behaviors of the insect are better understood now than when they were first found stateside, wineries are still figuring out the best approach to protect their vines from the invasive species. Black with white spots, they develop bright red hind wings as they age and are fairly easy to identify. The spotted lanternfly is a piercing, sucking insect that feeds on plant sap, making them a major threat to fruit crops and trees. “As adults, they have the quite annoying habit of jumping onto things as they pass-cars, animals and, unfortunately, your face.” “They are an exasperating but fascinating insect,” says the owner and winemaker of Va La Vineyards. Decorative Wine Racks & Modular SystemsĪnthony Vietri has learned a lot about the spotted lanternfly over the three seasons he’s dealt with the invasive pest in his Pennsylvania vineyards.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |