VINE PESTS: Japanese Beetle The adult Japanese beetle feeds on the leaves of more than 250 plants, but it especially enjoys the muscadine foliage. With a metallic green head and thorax, copper wing covers and white hairs along its body, the beetle skeletonizes the leaves of the plant. A spot treatment with contact insecticide may be adequate for controlling this pest but if not, spraying the whole plant with insecticide may eliminate them. Grape Flea Beetle The brown, black-spotted larvae of the grape flea beetle will skeletonize the leaves and eat the flower clusters, too. The bluish-green adult also feeds on the leaves, but infestations are typically very light, so an application of contact insecticide will generally solve the problem. Grape Leaffolder The adult leaffolder is a grey moth with white wing dots and white abdominal stripes, but it is the larva that threatens muscadine foliage. A pale green caterpillar, about one inch in length, the larva spins silk to tie the rolled leaf around itself, then feeds on the top surfaces of the leaf from the inside of the packet. Along with the leaffolder's natural predator, the mueesebech wasp, contact insecticide will also eradicate them. Since there are usually only a few of these invaders, you may be able to control them by simply plucking them from the vines and crushing them. Aphids A problem for a number of host plants, including the muscadine grapes, aphids are the natural prey of the ladybug beetle, the praying mantis, the walking stick, and other beneficial garden insects. Introducing such predators can control aphids in muscadine grape vines. Pruning to remove the affected leaves is often also effective. The general way to solve a bug problem on vines is to use a mixture of vinegar, bleach and water. (vinegar 20%, Bleach 20% and water 60%), put in spray bottle and shake vigorously, then cool for 4 to house, gently mist the area where there are extensive bugs; 2 or 3 applications will rid the bug problem without damaging the vines. -Birdy