by Darin Allred, PhD, Technical Services Manager, Arysta LifeScience

Spider mite flare-ups are something no grape grower wants to face in the weeks leading up to harvest. Before you even notice they’re there, mites can do serious damage to your vineyard. Hot and dry weather pair up to create an ideal habitat for mites in the late summer months. Grape growers should be extra diligent in the weeks leading up to harvest, because the fight against damaging pests is not over yet.

Tetranychus pacificus, also known as the Pacific spider mite, has become one of the biggest threats to high-quality crops. The University of California Cooperative Extension recommends looking for mites weekly using a 10–14X lens to ensure proper treatment of any infestations. The mite monitoring form created by the University of California is a helpful way to determine when treatment may be necessary.

Because the Pacific spider mite prefers the hotter, dryer part of the grape-growing season, it can be found in the warmer upper canopy of the vine. Adult Pacific spider mite females vary in color from amber to greenish; later in the season, adult females can turn orange to reddish. Adults usually have two larger spots toward the head and two spots toward the rear. If not controlled, Pacific spider mites can cause extensive damage and reduce Brix and yield.

Arysta LifeScience provides miticides that feature the flexibility that growers need: quick knockdown, long-lasting control, and selectivity to help maintain populations of beneficial insects and predator mites — all for excellent IPM compatibility. Grape growers trust the power and control of OMITE^®, ACRAMITE^®, VIGILANT^® and KANEMITE^® Miticides in the fight against the Pacific spider mite and other spider mite species.

The unique fuming action of OMITE penetrates dense webbing and all of the nooks and crannies where many other miticides cannot reach, making it the go-to rescue treatment in grapes. OMITE fumes are repellent to spider mites, flushing them out of these refugia and exposing them to the residues; therefore, it has three routes of entry into the spider mite: contact, residual, and inhalation. It can be used anytime during the growing season, up to 21 days before harvest.

OMITE is rainfast after drying and offers residual control for up to 39 days, making it an effective miticide throughout the growing season. It is soft on beneficial insects at all rates and predator mites at the low rate, and it will not cause flare-ups of secondary insect pests or spider mites. Omite is the only miticide with the mode of action in IRAC Group 12, making it an excellent tool for resistance management. Arysta LifeScience recommends rotating or tank-mixing with miticides that have different modes of action to prevent development of resistance to OMITE.

ACRAMITE and VIGILANT provide control against Pacific, Willamette, and Twospotted spider mites in grapes up to 30 days at all life stages, and they can be used any time during the season, up to 14 days before harvest. Additionally, both ACRAMITE and VIGILANT go easy on beneficial insects and predator mites, so they won't cause secondary insect pest or spider mite flare-ups.

KANEMITE provides fast knockdown, long lasting control, and a 7-day pre-harvest interval, making it a smart choice for spider mite management in grapes at any time during the growing season. Specifically, KANEMITE offers excellent protection against the Pacific spider mite, two-spotted spider mite and Willamette spider mite. Unlike some miticides, KANEMITE is easy on predatory mites and other beneficial species; like all Arysta miticides, it won't cause flare-ups of secondary insect pests or spider mites. Its active ingredient, — acequinocyl, — is in the unique chemical sub-group 20B, which makes it an ideal choice for managing mite resistance in grape vineyards.

You can count on Arysta LifeScience for a complete line of grape protection and a staff dedicated to helping you manage mites — or whatever pest issue you have — and keeping your vineyard going strong. Contact your retailer or Arysta LifeScience sales representative for additional information, or visit www.arysta-na.com.

^{OMITE is a restricted-use pesticide. Always read and follow label directions. ACRAMITE and OMITE are registered trademarks of an Arysta LifeScience Group Company. KANEMITE is a registered trademark of Agro-Kanesho Company, S.A. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. © 2018 Arysta LifeScience Group Company. SPC-17108}