Category: Integrated Pest Management

Unboxing Owl Boxes

Rebuilding habitats for natural rodent control The following article was originally posted in Wine Business Monthly in April of 2022.  Did you know that owls are cannibalistic? Baby owls will feast on their owlet-siblings to reduce competition. Did you know that owls strike so fast they kill on contact? It’s the equivalent of getting hit […]

Looking like a great year (for trunk disease)

Looking like a great year (for trunk disease) Sorry to be a Negative Nancy… The recent rain we’ve been getting is certainly a welcome change for us in California. Wet weather does, however, present other challenges especially going into the pruning season. That’s right. I’m talking about trunk disease. It’s everywhere, and like viruses, growers […]

Herbicide-free algae control

Herbicide-free algae control Ultrasonic technology keeps the blooms at bay Algae blooms can be a big problem, especially for those in the wine industry. Runoff containing fertilizer from the vineyard or nutrients from wine production can wash into your surface water and cause an microbiological explosion. It’s hazardous to your health, it kills off other […]

Esca and Young Vine Decline: what you should know

Esca and Young Vine Decline: What you should know. One of the wisest things ever told to me was “If you can’t get out of it, get into it”. This phrase came into my life while working a boring summer job as an angsty teenager almost two decades ago and since then I have never […]

Ask a viticulturist: How do I manage my Red-Blotch-infested vineyard?

Ask a viticulturist: How do I manage my Red-Blotch-infested vineyard? I have a vineyard with a fair amount of Red Blotch in it. It’s not enough to justify pulling the whole vineyard. Can I manage those vines differently so that I get a quality crop in the meantime?  Thanks for reaching out! In response to […]