The Grape-Berry Moth. 119 



Remedial Treatment for the Grape-Berry Moth. 



At least three times during its yearly life-cycle, this insect is 

 vulnerable and can be effectively fought. 



Destruction of fallen leaves. — The most frequent recommendation 

 has been to gather and burn the fallen leaves in autumn or winter, 

 and thus destroy the insect in hibernation as a pupa in its cocoon on 

 the leaves. This method is correct in theory and practicable on a 

 small scale, and might help materially in controlling the insect. But 

 our experience in hunting for the hibernating cocoons indicates that 

 many soon break loose from the fallen and rotting leaves on the 

 ground, and thus are not carried by the wind with the drier leaves 

 into the piles which usually accumulate. The failure also of some 

 to breed the moths from the leaves, probably collected from piles in 

 infested vineyards, leads us to rank this among the least effective 

 methods, and one often impracticable in a large vineyard. 



By cultivating early, especially along the trellis under the vines, 

 one would doubtless bury and destroy some of the hibernating pupae. 



Bagging the clusters. — The practice of putting paper bags around 

 each cluster of grapes soon after they set, will doubtless protect them 

 from attack by the second and third broods of the insect, as well as 

 from other, insects and rot fungi. Himdreds of thousands of choice 

 grape clusters are thus " bagged " every year in New York vineyards, 

 and it pays. 



Picking the infested berries in August. — Probably the method most 

 often used against the grape-berry moth is to pick off and destroy the 

 characteristic and conspicuous, spotted green fruits infested by the 

 caterpillars. This destroys the very destructive second brood, thus 

 preventing the further development of the insect that season, and it 

 is a very effective method. To test the practicability of this hand- 

 picking method on large areas, some of the Chautauqua vineyardists 

 co-operated with us and made the experiment in 1903 and 1904. 

 It was found to cost only about $2 to thus go over an acre of vineyard 

 and pick off the infested fruits in August. An acre yielded from 30 

 to 50 pounds of " wormy " grapes. The expense was small for such a 

 very effective method. Boys and girls could do the work well and 

 cheaply, and we strongly commend this sure method, especially as the 

 infestation is usually serious only over a portion of a vineyard. 



Destruction of " trimmings. ' ' — Oftentimes the grapes are sorted and 

 " trimmed " for the market in the vineyard. All the " wormy " or bad 

 berries are removed and often left on the ground where the " worms " 

 can develop into a destructive crop of the insect for the next season. 

 Many a local infestation in a vineyard doubtless can be traced back 



