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“There was a time when this moth pest was very common in the San Joaquin Valley, especially in raisin vineyards,’ said Kent Daane, University of California Cooperative Extension specialist based at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Education Center in Parlier.
Nat DiBuduo of Allied Grape Growers in Fresno remembers previous pest finds.
“We (grape industry) successfully rid ourselves of it in the San Joaquin Valley. It is a very hungry pest and if not controlled can destroy a vine and vineyard. However it can be controlled.”
The last WGS find in Napa County was in 2007 on Mt. Veeder Road.
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Clark asks commercial grape growers and gardeners to keep their eyes peeled for all WGS larval (caterpillar) stages.
“All larval life stages are voracious feeders that cause extensive damage to grape leaves, including partial or complete defoliation of grapevines,” Clark said. “Excessive feeding can damage fruit, lead to secondary fungal damage, and grape cluster rot.”
Clark stated, “We do not want this pest to become established in Napa County.”
After the find, Ag Commission pest detection trappers deployed 25 additional traps within a mile radius of the Calistoga find.
