Page 33 - Grapevine March-April 2020

Around The Vineyard

vines, they may tear through leaves or damage
shoots so that they no longer support the plant.

However, not all types of animals are a nuisance.
Both sheep and geese provide weed control, llamas
can be used to clear debris from vineyard rows,
and armadillos are known to eat harmful insects.
Meanwhile, dogs, outdoor cats and even bobcats
scare away rodents and other small pests and pro-
tect sheep from predators.

Chemical Control Methods for Wildlife

Various chemical methods are available today to
assist vineyards in controlling wildlife. However,
it is vital when using chemical repellants that
they effectively deter wildlife without harming
vines. Many vineyard operators also want to be as
humane as possible in their wildlife control meth-
ods and limit their use of poisonous chemical com-
pounds.

Brett Miller, Northwest Territory Sales Manager
for the Wilsonville, Oregon-based Bird Control
Group, told The Grapevine Magazine that chemical
repellents come in two modalities: primary and
secondary. Primary repellents are irritants that pro-
duce a foul odor or taste to encourage birds to try
a different food source, while secondary repellents
invoke a physiological response in the birds.

Chemicals repellants are sprayed either direct-
ly onto fruit or into the air around the vineyard;
however, as a former vineyard manager and wine-
maker, Miller said to be careful when spraying any
chemical directly onto the grapes. “Spraying any-
thing on the fruit or in the vineyard will affect the
resulting wine in some way. I would never spray
something on the fruit that is a physical deterrent
to birds because it could easily affect the quality of
the wine, whether directly by an off-taste, or indi-
rectly by inhibiting yeast fermentation.”

Jon Stone of Avian Enterprises in Sylvan Lake,
Michigan, told The Grapevine Magazine that Avian
Control Bird Repellent has proven to be the most
effective chemical control method on the market
for controlling birds in vineyards. The main reason
for this, Stone said, besides it’s effectiveness, is
that it does not change the taste or color of the
wine.

“There have been no reports of unexpected

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