Viticulture
The pests that matter
Phylloxera, grape berry moths, mealybugs, nematodes, birds and mammals — informational, not a spray programme.
The short answer
Phylloxera is the historically decisive one. The others matter mostly through what they carry: mealybugs spread leafroll virus, nematodes spread fanleaf, and berry moths open wounds that grey rot exploits.
Overview
Most vineyard pests are managed rather than eliminated, and the modern approach is integrated pest management — monitoring, thresholds and targeted intervention rather than routine spraying.
This page describes what these organisms are and why they matter for wine. It is not a control manual.
Step by step
1 Phylloxera
A root-feeding aphid native to eastern North America that destroyed most of Europe’s vineyards from the 1860s. Grafting onto tolerant rootstock remains the answer.
2 Grape berry moths
Larvae feed inside berries, and the wounds they leave are a principal entry route for grey rot. Pheromone-based mating disruption is now widely used in place of insecticides.
3 Mealybugs and scale insects
Sap feeders whose real significance is as vectors of leafroll virus, which is why their control is a virus-management question as much as a pest one.
4 Nematodes
Microscopic soil roundworms that damage roots and transmit fanleaf virus. Rootstock choice is the main defence, and some rootstocks are selected specifically for nematode resistance.
5 Birds
Substantial losses from véraison onwards, when the fruit sweetens. Netting is the reliable answer; scaring devices work briefly.
6 Mammals
Deer, wild boar, rabbits and kangaroos depending on the continent. Fencing is the usual response, and the cost is significant.
In history
Sources
Sources consulted
- UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology — University of California, Davis
- INRAE — French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment — INRAE
- Wine Australia — regions, GIs and market information — Wine Australia
More in the vineyard
Viticulture
Climate and wine style
The largest single influence on what a wine tastes like — larger than grape, producer or winemaking, and the reason the same variety is unrecognisable in two places.
Viticulture
Climate change and wine
Warming is already reshaping where wine is grown and what it tastes like.
Viticulture
Harvest and picking decisions
When to pick — the single most consequential decision a producer makes each year.