Eating comfortably with friends in the garden, drinking cocktails in the afternoon sun and enjoying the wonderful weather - summer is simply the most beautiful season. But as much as we love the summer months, they also bring with them a lot of uninvited guests. Wasps in particular often visit us in August and September and often become a nuisance. Juicy, refreshing and really tasty – grapes are simply a must in late summer. But grapes are not just a popular snack for people - wasps and other insects also like to eat the delicious fruits. Are you looking forward to a bountiful harvest this year and perhaps want to make grape jam or something similar? Great! Then you may be wondering what is the best way to keep wasps away from grapes? Then you should definitely read on, because here you will find the best tricks and tips to keep annoying wasps away!
Why do wasps eat grapes?
In late summer we all look forward to delicious, sweet grapes. It becomes all the more annoying when you realize that someone else has already snacked on the delicious fruit. Many hobby gardeners are initially surprised when they see that wasps have already helped themselves to their grapes. That itselfthe little insectsFeeding exclusively on already damaged fruit and other small animals is actually a widespread misconception. In fact, their menu is very diverse and wasps also feed on plant juices, pollen and nectar. When it comes to fruit, the sweeter the better. The high sugar content and sweet scent of grapes are very tempting to wasps, especially when ripe. They eat large holes in the fruit and ruin our harvest. So that it doesn't get to that point, you should know the most effective way to keep wasps away from grapes.
What damage could they cause?
With their sharp mouthparts, wasps eat very large holes in individual grapes and can even hollow them out completely. This in turn can ruin a large part of our harvest and all our work will be completely in vain. Even the lower grapes that have not been eaten directly are not suitable for consumption. The reason for this is that the sap flowing down also makes them vulnerable. But we don't want that, do we? Since the injuries make the fruits much more susceptible to rot fungi and diseases, it is importantto take actionand to protect the grapes from wasps. Since the insects prefer fully ripe grapes, it is best to start protective measures a few weeks before harvest.
What's the best way to keep wasps away from grapes?
Wasps are actually very useful animals in the ecosystem and hunt aphids, spiders, mosquitoes, flies and other insects that are annoying or harmful. Just like bees, they are protected species in Germany and you cannot kill them for no reason. But with simple, preventive measures you can keep wasps away from grapes without hurting them.
Protect grapes from wasps with protective nets
Protective bags and nets are probably the best-known and safest way to keep birds or wasps away from grapes. Winemakers have been using these for several years, but the nets can also work wonders in their own gardens. These can now be found in all garden centers and are available in many different sizes. Bagging the grapes individually is actually a lot of work, but since the wasps can't eat through the organza fabric, your grapes remain reliably protected. However, depending on how large the vines are, you may have to attach several nets on top of each other. The protective nets also ensure that the grapes continue to receive enough sun and air so that they can grow undisturbed. Conventional plastic bags, on the other hand, are rather unsuitable as protection - the lack of air exchange causes condensation to form quickly and as a result the grapes become rotten.
Keep wasps away from grapes with water
So simple and yet very effective - you can keep wasps away from grapes even with normal water. A spray bottle filled with tap water - that's all you need! Why this method works? Wasps hate rain and the spray makes them think it is raining and quickly retreat. But to protect the grapes from wasps, you have to leave the sprinkler system running all day, otherwise the little insects will quickly come back afterwards. In practice, this would be rather impractical and lead to extremely high water consumption. In addition, the high amounts of water lead to unfavorable soil conditions, which has a negative impact on our plants.
Primary rock dust against wasps
If you want to keep wasps away from grapes, you don't have to immediately resort to the insecticides on the market. Primary rock flour is an excellent alternative to protect your harvest without harming the beneficial insects. The easiest way to do this is to shake the primary rock powder directly over the grapes. Alternatively, you can mix it with a little water and spray the fruit with it. However, you should be very careful, because too much flour can have a negative effect on photosynthesis.
