Using sustainable practices for controlling the vine mealybug involves setting up a program that will take a number of years to establish (2 - 3 years minimum). Sustainable practices encompasses the following:

• Argentine Ant Management
• Mating Disruption
• Biological Control/Natural Enemies
• Judicious Use of Insecticides

Argentine Ant Management
The first step is to control Argentine ants using bait stations (identify your ants with the help of local state agencies):

• Low population of ants – place 5 stations/acre
• Medium population of ants – place 15 stations/acre
• High population of ants – spray then put out bait stations
• Place bait stations out in March, April and/or May.

Mating Disruption
Mating disruption confuses the male VMB by releasing copious quantities of the female VMB pheromone into the vineyard, which causes the male VMB to become disoriented and to be unable to locate a female VMB for reproduction. Dispenser cards with the pheromones have shown promising results in field trials, and Suterra is pursuing the EPA for approval to manufacture the cards.

Biological Control/Natural Enemies
There are two natural enemies of the VMB can that be used in conjunction and purchased commercially – Anagyrus pseudococci (a parasitic wasp) and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (a predatory ladybird beetle). The Anagyrus wasp is used with low to medium VMB populations and should be released throughout the vineyard at 500 wasps/acre/month beginning in April and continuing through August. The Cryptolaemus or Mealybug Destroyer beetle is used in medium to high VMB populations. The adults and larvae of the Destroyers eat all of the life stages of the VMB and grape mealybug. The release rate is 500 – 5,000/acre depending on mealybug density, and they should be released on “hot spots” primarily. Both natural enemies can be purchased from Sterling Insectary.

Judicious Use of Chemicals
Natural enemy releases can be compatible with several of the “softer” insecticides, including Applaud, Assail, Movento, and Venom. If you have released natural enemies and are not seeing parasitized mealybugs (or mummies) by mid – end of July, you may choose to apply one of these insecticides. If you have released natural enemies and are no longer seeing damage from mealybugs in your clusters at harvest, you may be able to cease the use of insecticides for the next year.

Prepared by Sterling Insectary with the assistance of the University of California