I was out in the garden the other morning, checking on the grapevines like I usually do this time of year, when I noticed something strange. The leaves didn’t look quite right. When I turned one over, I found them: tiny white bugs, flitting around.
They seemed to be on my younger grapevines. I have a 15-year-old grapevine that produces grapes each fall near my arbor. But I also have several young grapevine volunteers that have seeded in from the old vine. The bugs were only on the young vines. As of yet, these vines produce no grapes.
At first, I thought they might be aphids. But these were different. They were smaller, more active, and had wings. Some of them jumped when I tried to get a closer look. I’ve seen enough garden pests over the years to know these weren’t aphids.
After a little research and a closer inspection with my magnifying glass, I narrowed it down to either grape leafhoppers or whiteflies—two pests that seem to love grapevines. Both are tiny and white, both hang out on the undersides of the leaves, and both feed by sucking the sap from the plant.
I’m encouraging the good bugs with my wild and natural garden. The more beneficial insects I can attract, the better the balance. I’ve also made a mental note to do a thorough cleanup in the fall and remove any fallen leaves so nothing overwinters near the vines.
I may also transplant my small grapevines to a better location, but I need to research how best to accomplish that. These little vines chose their spots all by themselves! As a result, they aren't in the most well-ventilated part of the garden.
These little white bugs may be small, but they’re persistent. Fortunately, they aren't bothering other plants. With a bit of vigilance, I think I’ll be able to keep them under control.
If you know what these pests are, leave a note in the comments.