Grapes are looking good. Black rot and downy mildew are beginning to show up in some plantings. Japanese beetles are beginning to emerge in southern and central areas. It s difficult to predict how much of a problem they will be this year, but they will likely be a problem on blueberries, brambles, and in new grape plantings. Though they seem to eat everything, Japanese beetles are particularly fond of grape and plum foliage, and blueberry, raspberry, and peach fruit.
Beetles can cause serious losses in blueberries and brambles by feeding on fruit.
Fruit are damaged, but not completely consumed by beetles in a single feeding. The next feeding the beetles select clean, undamaged fruit, so that a single adult may damage dozens of berries in its lifetime. Multiply that by thousands of beetles and the losses can become significant. One problem with applying pesticides near harvest is the potential for visible residue on the fruit, especially with dark colored fruit such as blueberries. Growers may want to consider the XLR formulation of Sevin because it does not leave as much visible residue as wettable powder formulations.