How to save grapes from bees and wasps - do-it-yourself traps for pests

Hello! Although in the age of email ordinary paper letters are rare, but one of my acquaintances from the Urals, Olga often pleases me with them.

In her last letter, she shared her joy that the last year was fruitful for grapes, which is rare in their climatic zone.

Hot summers, heavy rains, that's just one trouble - wasps attacked the crop. In the same letter, Olga told how to save grapes from bees and wasps. I want to tell you about this today.

How to protect grapes from wasps and bees

Although bees and wasps do not seem the worst pests for grapes, they can still spoil it. This is especially negative for those who grow grapes for sale.

Such grapes will still be able to make wine, but it will not work for sale, and it will only be stored for a short time. Therefore, it is critical to understand how to deal with insects so that they do not touch the clusters.

Possible approaches to protection

All approaches can be divided into two categories. The first is the physical destruction of insects - or at least their main part. This is sometimes effective, but there are disadvantages to this approach.

This is a less environmentally friendly option, in addition, although the same wasps harm grapes, they also actively destroy aphids, caterpillars, grasshoppers and bedbugs, which can also cause no less damage.

The principle is simple - if an insect cannot reach the grapes, then it cannot harm it. Therefore, if you are not afraid of slightly increased labor costs, then it is best to prefer the option considered.

How can physical extermination of insects be carried out?

Consider the options in general terms, then move on to the specifics. The first option, which, although less recommended, but sometimes still also suitable. The easiest way to deal with wasps is to destroy their nest if you know where it is. A similar situation will be with a hive of wild bees.

If the bees fly from your apiary, then, of course, physical destruction cannot, in principle, be suitable. Moreover, bees generally rarely spoil grapes, therefore it is more worth orienting oneself precisely on wasps.

There are baits on sale that contain poison inside. If you place them tactically throughout your household, then soon there will be no trace of wasps, although this method may not be very suitable for larger areas.

What is passive insect control?

If you do not want winged pests to die, then there are several fairly convenient options. Firstly, you can spray the clusters and bushes with a special chemical solution.

This method is very controversial. Although it, on the one hand, will help protect the crop, and even with high efficiency, but only then for any use of grapes for food or for putting it up for sale will certainly have to thoroughly wash it. If the chemical composition remains, this can lead to quite negative problems.

Another option is protective bags. This method is very reliable. You just pack each individual bunch in a special net, after which wasps and bees simply physically cannot reach your berries.

Everything is very simple, everything is very effective, the only problem is that the labor costs here will be one of the highest, because if you have several bushes, you can still pack them in bags quickly enough, but if you are talking about a hundred or even about a few dozen, then a lot of time will be spent. If you have a theoretical opportunity to do this, it’s good, but the method is clearly not universal.

Trap device

They are easy to do on their own, if there is a corresponding desire. You need to take a regular bottle, for example, lemonade. The top of the bottle needs to be cut off, turned over and placed on the bottom of the bottle.

The last is the bait. Usually it is fermented jam, beer with sugar added to it, kvass with bread or mash. But a sweet syrup or a solution of honey should not be used, because otherwise it may turn out that useful bees will fly there.

As a result, most often insects just drown. At the same time, if the alignment is especially successful, then up to a couple of hundred insects can get into the bottle per day. To do this, you need to place them somewhere in particularly prominent places, for example, right among the grape rows. You should not skimp, the more they will total, the better it will be possible to save the crop.

Grape Protection Bags

The use of bags, as mentioned earlier, is quite optimal, but several subtleties need to be considered. Often amateur gardeners instead of them simply fit grapes in ordinary stockings.

But the same thing begins to manifest itself in situations where the bag is not selected in size. It is necessary to take them with the expectation that there must be some supply so that the grapes do not burst, are not damaged. Then everything will be fine.

What is the best way to destroy a nest?

It seems that destroying the nest when you find it is simple, but doing it is also important correctly. You can burn the nest, but very carefully, because the fire can spread to all kinds of trees and other buildings.

Finally, you can place the nest in a bag with a solution in which the corresponding insecticide is poured previously. But in the case of the latter method, you need to repeat the procedure several times, in one approach you will not be able to completely get rid of insects.

Alternatives to the above options

There are a couple more alternatives. Firstly, it is liquid smoke, which is usually used in smokehouses - it processes nearby soil. The method has medium efficiency. Normal home vinegar of any type convenient for you works well. Unlike chemicals, it is very easy to wash.

In each individual case, different approaches will be more effective, so choose what is most optimal for you. Try different types of options - and in the end you can stop at the most profitable and convenient for you.

How to deal with wasps on grapes

The root cause of the formation of a whole colony of yellow-black insects is the fertilized uterus. It was with her construction of the nest and the subsequent laying of eggs that a sharp increase in the colony in spring, when crops bloom in the gardens, was associated. A month later, a dozen working individuals appear, and in mid-July, the growth in the number of wasps reaches its peak.

The offspring of striped pests are first fed with protein feed, destroying harmful caterpillars, all carrion. In late August, the replenishment of the colony with new insects is on the decline. The diet is changing.

Preference is given to sweet foods. The wasp that has lost its integrity is not completely eaten. Its remains are a breeding ground for bees, flies, fungal crops.

Often, wasps hiding in the pulp of the fetus become the cause of serious injuries. An unseen pest along with the fetus enters the mouth. In case of damage to the oral cavity, the occurrence of a tumor, an urgent need to contact a medical institution.

If the bite is outside, baking soda will help. Her solution treats the affected area, and then a cold compress is applied to remove the tumor.

Resist Pest: General Principles

When asked what to do with wasps, the answer is to fight. This is not easy: spraying with insecticides is undesirable because fruit ripening and harvesting time do not allow to withstand the necessary pause to mitigate the effects of toxic substances.

At the invasion of wasps, when you need to urgently save the grapes, you can still sprinkle it with the composition: chlorophos (50 g) diluted in 10 liters of water. Among other ways to save grapes from wasps, you can name:

With the onset of darkness, a nest filled with insects from all sides, especially in the middle, is treated with chemicals. All parts of the body must be protected by work clothing. The cuffs are firmly fixed. The head is protected by a mosquito net. A red glass lantern is used as a light source: wasps do not perceive red waves.

Quite often, striped insects feed on the juice of those berries that were previously pecked by birds - another “lover” to enjoy juicy fruits. It is the juice that attracts birds. To protect the grapes from wasps and birds, a special protective mesh made of fine-meshed polymer material (canvas) is used.

It is set in the path of summer, protecting the bunches. If you disperse water containers over the vineyard, then the birds will stop pecking the berries, receiving life-giving moisture from the drinkers. This means that there will be no reason for wasps to visit the vineyard when the fruit ripens.

Protective caps

The most effective (most time-consuming) is the "personal" protection of bunches. To do this, special mesh bags are put on each to protect the grapes from wasps. In stores, you can buy them in different sizes, taking into account the weight of the brush.

Smoke from a fire or "Liquid Smoke" helps to drive away insects for smoking products. As an artificial repeller, the toxic drug Sochva is used. It retains the smell of smoke, settling on the leaves and fruits.

Active protection of bunches

You can catch wasps on a sweet bait. Where there is no shadow, hang plastic containers into which to pre-pour the fermented compote, sweet syrup or honey water. Creeping through the neck to smell inward, wasps drown in solution. The contents of the bottles are periodically changed. Especially often this has to be done in hot weather.

It is better to trap single mothers in the early spring. This should be done without stopping fishing from the early spring days until the fall, until the entire crop is harvested, because other migrating wasps fly to the place of the captured insect, ready for fertilization.

In a 2 liter bottle, the upper cone-shaped part with a neck is cut off. In the prepared workpiece 50 mm above the bottom with a needle, make holes with an awl to allow air to circulate. Make two opposite holes in the upper part of the container (for hanging the trap to a tree on a thread or wire).

A place for bait is being arranged. It can be a glass shot glass (25 g) or another container fixed at the bottom. The bait is placed in it, and soapy water is poured into the bottom, which does not reach the crown of the container with the bait. The inverted cut part of the bottle in the form of a funnel is inserted into the trap.

It remains only to hang it in a place protected from the wind. Attracted by the smell of the contents of the bottle, the insect penetrates through a narrow neck. Trying to grab a heavy piece of prey, it does not hold on take-off and enters a liquid soapy solution, from where it cannot get out.

Pieces of fish and meat are used as bait. The main thing is that the products are fresh. The smell of rotten meat wasps is not attractive. Periodically it needs to be changed.

Soap film on the surface of the water inside reduces the degree of surface tension, under the own weight of the wasp drown. But this device of wasp traps also requires time for periodic cleaning of the contents of the bottle, constant change of the prima.

Chemistry

Chemical preparations can be added to man-made traps so that the berries are not covered by a poisonous agent.

What if the nets for a bunch of grapes from the wasps are problematic to hang, and you come to the cottage only on weekends? In this case, it is possible to protect the grapes from wasps not only in their own area, but also in the neighbors using insecticides.

Any caterpillar pesticide is added to the bait. For better access to it, the trap is equipped with bridges on which they can easily reach the bait. The peculiarity of the method of extermination of insects is that they regale themselves with a solution of contact-intestinal damage.

Fly away and only then die. As a result, traps remain clean. It is only necessary to periodically add poisoned mass to them or replace it with despised juicy fruits (apples, pears), pre-treated with chemicals.

If the grapes are damaged by wasps, then the same composition can sprinkle all the plants near the vine bushes. A sweet coating on the leaves attracts wasps, and then everything is according to the above scheme. Only with a nearby apiary can bees be affected.

How to protect grapes from wasps

In one of the social networks, I stumbled upon a question: How to protect grapes from wasps? Being interested, I subscribed to comments, wanting to learn about possible interesting innovations in the fight against wasps. There were not many tips, it was mainly proposed to put brushes in pantyhose or in mosquito nets ...

In addition, the wasp has quite powerful jaw-incisors and tights in contact with the berries, will be easily bitten and the berry, as well as the rest of the ripe, exuding berry aroma, will be spoiled. In evidence I will give one of the observations.

Racks of grape arbors were made of water pipes. In the pipes, by welding, holes were burned into which trellis wires were inserted. Since the holes turned out to be slightly larger than the diameter of the wire, the wasps easily penetrated the pipe cavities and built their nests there.

Having bought plasticine, I covered all the holes into which wasps climbed. By evening, I was surprised to see neat round minks done in plasticine. The plasticine layer thickness was 4-5 mm. Those. if a wasp sees an obstacle, then it can easily destroy it, within acceptable limits, of course.

Wasps no longer build their nests in these pipes. But it was a tiny fraction of the habitats of insects. Having examined rarely visited buildings (woodburner, coal depot, etc.) even in the shower, large wasp nests were discovered.

Well, there were no problems with the shower, because it is made entirely of metal, the metal frame is covered with 0.5 mm thick aluminum foil. After wrapping the tow on a metal rod, he wetted it with kerosene, scorched and burned several nests. But in the woodcutter and in the square the fire is strictly forbidden.

Therefore, he dissolved in 5 liters of water a contact preparation against the Colorado potato beetle, designed for 10 liters. those. double dose and processed all the nests. Wasps falling under the sprayed jet sprayer died within 1-2 minutes, and the nests were later removed and burned.

By the way, who is very afraid of these insects, there is a red light method (I have not tried it myself, but there is logic), take a red photo lamp and, in the dark, illuminate the nest with a flashlight, crush it with a wooden block or thick mittens along with adults. The wasp, allegedly, does not perceive the red light as illuminating and for her darkness, it remains so and she does not see the person.

But, even having destroyed almost all the nests, we only temporarily protected our plants from wasps, new ones that would spawn on neighboring sites would fly in their place. Therefore, it is necessary to hang traps in the intended habitats of wasps. In spring and early summer, when there is still no ripe fruit, wasps gladly eat young leaves of fruit trees and grapes.

Wasp Trap

It was noticed that wasps do not disdain fresh meat and do not shun tasting beer, even give it a greater preference than a green leaf. But, to use fresh meat and even the cheapest beer as bait, not everyone can afford it. And therefore, it is better to use sweet juices, jam dissolved in water, etc.

I think that the described trap device will not be a novelty for anyone, but it will be useful information for beginning gardeners.

In the upper part of the trap, two holes are made opposite each other (you need to pierce both the funnel and the glass at the same time), into which a wire or cord is threaded. In the walls of the trap, along the perimeter, several holes are pierced, but not lower than the level at which the bait will be poured. Holes serve for the speedy distribution of aroma around the bait.

An S - shaped hook is made of thick wire or welding electrode. With the help of such a hook, you can hang the trap almost anywhere (on the branches of fruit trees, in the vineyard).

With the help of such traps, it was possible to maintain 90-95% of the yield of early grape varieties. Traps must be regularly cleaned of dead insects, by the way, not only wasps, but also grape flies, moth butterflies, etc. fall into the traps. I changed the bait every week, I tried beer, juices and jam. The best bait was beer, then, raspberry jam and of course juices.

From personal observations: last year I noticed that wasps began to “beat” the Bako wine grape variety. Well, since the wasps began to beat the grapes, then it's time to harvest, I thought, and decided to taste the grapes. But then he spat out the berry, it was sour and it was necessary to hang the grapes for at least another ten days.

I drove the wasp from the berry and tried the grapes - there was fermenting juice in the berry. So what happens - a wasp bites the skin of an unripe grape, moreover, it selects almost ripe berries from the whole bunch, the juice in the berry begins to ferment and after 2-3 days the wasps begin to consume fermented juice.

At the same time, do not forget to break through the skin of a neighboring berry and so on. As a result, there is practically nothing to harvest by the time the grapes ripen. Therefore, destroy wasp nests, hang traps and always will be with the crop. This applies not only to grapes.

Another proven method

Syrup is prepared (very sweet fruit water). Usually I make a sweet liquid in a 3 liter bottle from old jam or juice. For example, a half-liter jar of jam is laid out in a bottle and water is added up to three liters. If the bait is not very sweet, add sugar. The main thing is that the resulting syrup is fragrant. Juices do not need to be diluted with water.

Then, I take the Iskra insecticide tablet, break it into four parts and dissolve one part in three liters of the obtained liquid, which can be previously dissolved in a small amount of water. The calculation is this: one tablet is designed for 10 liters of water, and I have 3 liters, which means that 1/4 of the tablet is enough.

The resulting solution should not immediately kill the wasp. The whole point is that the wasp was able to bring this syrup to the nest and feed the offspring, as well as show other individuals the location of the feeder.

Any insecticide can be used, but odorless or almost odorless. For lure feeders, it is best to use trays, such as photo trays. Now grocery stores are full of similar plastic utensils. In such containers they sell cakes, cookies, etc.

Pour bait in small quantities. I pour so much that the liquid covers the bottom. I install in the aisles of the vineyard so that the bath is most of the time in the sun (not in the shade).

I put something under one edge of the bath so that a dry place forms, so that more insects can find a place for more convenient eating of the bait. Although, without the slopes of the bathtub, wasps eat syrup, but in this case, many insects fall into the liquid, and this is not desirable.I said why. The wasp should fly into the nest.

Do not forget to regularly replenish the feeders with the prepared syrup. This simple way can significantly reduce the number of wasps in your area. Yes, I almost forgot. Decoys - feeders need to be placed not when the grapes are already being poured, but much earlier, before the young offspring flies. I usually set in late spring - early summer.

Anticipating a possible question about bees, I’ll say right away that I’ve never seen a single bee flying to a feeding trough.

What is the best way to protect grapes from wasps?

More and more summer residents are breaking vineyards in the plots. The question of how to protect grapes from wasps becomes relevant already at the first harvest, since insects can cause significant damage to it.

On large plantations, you have to use insecticides, which are harmful not only for wasps. However, chemical treatment of a vineyard is often the only solution. True, in this case it is not necessary to talk about an environmentally friendly grape harvest.

In areas with a small number of vines, it is much easier to get rid of pests without using means harmful to other animals and humans. You can save grapes from wasps:

• building traps for them;
• scaring off insects;
• depriving them of access to ripening berries;
• destroying hornet's nests.

Destruction of hornet's nests

It is advisable to use this method of combating wasps on grapes only if the habitats of insects are known, and it is possible to get to them. Destruction of nests is an event fraught with "conflict" with the inhabitants of the colonies, so you should be prepared for it as best as possible.

Hornet's nest should be destroyed in the early morning while insects sleep
Destroy nests should be in the late evening or early morning, when the colony of wasps is immersed in sleep. The nest is sprayed with an insecticide (Get, Dichlorvos, Karbofos, Fufanon, etc.). After treatment, nests treated with drugs are best burned. They are collected in a resealable container ¼ hours after processing.

Since the chemical treatment is carried out in conditions of minimal illumination, the vineyard may be tempted to use a flashlight. This should not be done. For lighting, it is necessary to use devices equipped with a red filter. Wasps will not react to such light.

In another method of destroying colonies, chemicals are not used. In this case, the nests are treated with boiling water.

Therefore, the owner of the site must carefully inspect all possible nesting sites for insects in order to prevent a problem. It is most effective to destroy wasp colonies in spring when they are not yet sufficiently developed.

How to scare insects

You can protect grapes from wasps by scaring off insects. You can drive wasps out of nesting places by fumigating the colonies with smoke. Quite often, wasps leave these territories. Or try to hang bundles of red hot pepper near the wasp nests. Some gardeners believe that its smell has a deterrent effect on wasps.

The soil under the vineyard is treated with liquid smoke: this smell is also unpleasant for insects. However, repelling insects is a method with dubious effectiveness. It can be used as part of a set of pest control measures.

Grid protection

How to protect grapes from wasps if there are no wasp nests on the site, and insects still destroy clusters? In this case, you need to use another way to deal with wasps on grapes - to deprive them of access to berries.

Sometimes winegrowers use a mesh with small cells to cover the vineyard with it completely. This operation, as a rule, is carried out at the beginning of the ripening of the crop. The network protects clusters from wasps and birds.

Some vineyard owners act differently by placing them in mesh bags or each brush, or several clusters at once. The process is time-consuming, so it is hardly applicable for large vineyards. Protective covers can be made of any mesh material (tulle, gauze, capron from tights), which can provide air access to the berries.

Otherwise, the clusters will begin to rot. In addition, there should be some space between the bag and the brush so that the insects, sitting on the net, could not reach the berries. Before putting a cover on a bunch of leaves near it is better to remove.

Trap use

Effective protection of grapes from wasps - set and suspended traps with a bait that attracts pests. Traps are optional. They are easy to make with your own hands from simple PET bottles with a capacity of at least 1.5 liters.

The bottle can be hung on a wire or attached to a trunk, vine, trellis, etc. In the bottle above the level of the bait, you can make several holes so that its smell spreads better. The diameter of the holes should be such that the wasps could not crawl through them.

The wasp attracted by the bait will climb into the funnel, but will not be able to fly out of the dishes. Rare individuals manage to do this, but this can be ruled out by adding poison to the bait. In this capacity, borax or boric acid can act.

The bait should not be made from sugar syrup, honey or jam, as it will also attract bees. Beer is suitable for wasps, which began to ferment sweet juice, mash. Attracts them and the smell of the insecticide "Otos".

The viticulturist, who is concerned about how to save the grapes from wasps, can choose any of the proposed methods to protect the crop. However, it is more appropriate to solve the problem of protecting the vineyard from striped pests in an integrated manner.

Methods to protect grapes from wasps and birds

Grapes are a sweet, juicy berry that is loved not only by people. Unfortunately, small species of birds and various insects, such as wasps, can eat grapes. These insects can spoil the grapes by families.

How to protect grapes from wasps, birds and other pests? There are quite a few ways to save crops. Homemade traps, pouches and other tricks can save grapes. Each method is quite effective, but when choosing a method, you need to consider some factors.

All methods can be divided into five groups:

1. Destruction. Of course, wasps during the destruction of nests will not all disappear, but it will be possible to get rid of most of them.
2. Traps. The best option for both large and small vineyards.
3. Bait. This method involves the use of drugs that destroy wasps.
4. Scare away. Here a chemical agent is used, which needs to be sprayed directly on the fruits themselves.
5. Packaging. A very practical and convenient way, but since here you need to work with each bunch separately, it is suitable for small vineyards.

Destruction of hornet's nests

This method involves the fight directly with the nests of wasps. The method will work if you know exactly where the nests are. In small areas, this is not difficult. But if the vineyards are large, or insect nests are in the neighborhood, this option will not work. It is also worth considering that a hundred hornet swarm can be very dangerous for humans.

If such a procedure is conceived, the main thing is to observe all safety measures. Be sure to wear a protective suit made of thick fabric.

Mittens and a mask are better to use special ones that are used in beekeeping. Destruction of hornet's nests is best done at night, although it is quite difficult and inconvenient. The owners of the plots usually know where the nests of insects are located, so finding them is not difficult. But if the nest is not found, you can inspect:

If the nest is found, it is worth choosing the option of destruction. Using a tight bag, the socket should be removed, wrapped in it and tightened tightly. It is important to carry out this procedure as quickly as possible.

You can get rid of the nest by burning. This method is very convenient, as the nests flare up well, but also quite dangerous. Therefore, you must follow all safety rules.

With this method, it will not work to destroy the wasps at a time. Some of them will fly apart during processing, so you will have to carry out processing in several passes. If the nest is large or located in an inaccessible place and it is difficult to get rid of it yourself, it is better to contact specialists.

Trap

This method has many advantages. This does not imply cash costs, protects the vineyard without any treatments, safe for humans.

In the manufacture of traps using an ordinary plastic bottle, in which you want to cut the neck (the upper third of the bottle). As a treat for the wasps that they ate, you can use any fermented jam, kvass, beer with added sugar.

The selected treat is poured into a cropped container, and the cropped neck is turned over and thrust inside. In this case, the neck should not come into contact with the liquid. There should be a distance between them. Such traps can be placed near the vineyard, or suspended on a support.

If there are many wasps and the plot is quite large, traps can be set near each bush. Wasps falling into such traps cannot get out. To destroy as many pests as possible, traps should be changed periodically.

Lures

In this method, treats are also used, but treated with an insecticide or boric acid.

If boric acid is used, it is taken from the calculation: for 10 parts of the bait, 1 part of the acid. Any open containers can be used as bait dishes. Plates, saucers, bowls, the cropped bottom of the bottle and much more. Such baits often need to be changed so that wasps eat continuously.

Scare

This method raises some doubts, but it is still used. If in the previous methods the effect occurred directly on the wasps, then the vineyard itself must be processed. Chemicals are used for processing.

As for the effectiveness of this method - it really works and allows you to save the crop from insects and birds. But the minus is that without preliminary and thorough preparation, such grapes can not be eaten.

Packaging

Pretty effective way, but, unfortunately, not everyone is comfortable. This method involves packing the grapes themselves in bags of various materials.

This method is quite simple to implement, but if the vineyard is large, the packaging process for each cluster will be lengthy and troublesome.

Bags can be made from any material that is available. The packaging can be old unnecessary tulle, pieces of agrofiber, nylon nets. The size of the bag should be such that the bunches are spacious. Special nets are also sold, which serve for quite a long time and protect grapes well.

It is undesirable to make bags with gauze, as it tends to dry for a long time after rain.

Folk methods

When you need to fight wasps in the vineyard, all methods are good. If they do no harm to either grapes or human health, they are worth a try.

To scare away wasps, ordinary vinegar or wine can be used. Its main advantage is that it is non-toxic and harmless to both humans and plants. In addition, it is easily washed off by rain. Wasps do not tolerate a strong and pungent vinegar odor, which can last up to several days.

If the farm has smokehouses, grapes can be processed with liquid smoke. To do this, they cultivate the soil itself under the vineyards. This product has a persistent odor that will repel wasps for a long time.

Harvest can be preserved and protected in many ways. Everyone chooses for themselves a more acceptable and convenient method:

• If there are nests, they will be rationally destroyed.
• If the nests cannot be found, or if they are located in adjacent areas, traps and baits will do. They will be appropriate if the vineyards are large.
• If the vineyard is not just large, but on an industrial scale, then it is worth resorting to processing. But after harvesting, the berries should be washed with the help of special containers.
• But for expensive varieties, it is appropriate to use bags, since the size of the vineyard in such cases is not too large.

Fighting wasps in the vineyard is possible and it will certainly bring results.

The choice of method for protecting grapes from birds

If everything was clear with wasps and methods were found, slightly different methods are needed for birds. You can fight birds peacefully and at the same time effectively using one of the following methods:

All of the above methods are effective and can be convenient under various conditions. Often the choice of scaring method depends on the size of the vineyard. It is possible to use several methods at once, which will increase the reliability and effectiveness of crop protection.