grape leaf skeletonizer

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Yvonne G

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I have a couple of Thompson seedless grape vines planted so that I can harvest the leaves to feed to the tortoises. My problem is the grape leaf skeletonizers. They lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. When the eggs hatch out, 20 or 30 of these little caterpillars march in a line eating all the leaves on the vine. In the past I have stood there, turning over every leaf, looking for the eggs or the larvae, then I pick the leaf or leaves and put them in a plastic bag to take to the garbage. The vines are getting too big now to do that anymore. I haven't been able to use pesticide because I use the leaves for tortoise food.

Do any of you know a way to kill these little caterpillars before they decimate my vines?
 

Kristina

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You might try neem oil. I used it this past summer to get rid of the rose bugs on the bushes I feed to my tortoises. It is an organic oil that is edible and has never been shown to have any toxicity when ingested (did not harm any of my torts either.)

How I use it is this - I added a dropperful of the oil to an 8oz spray bottle (purchased at the dollar store for just this purpose) of warm water. Shake vigorously to emulsify, and spray all over the plant. After a single application, the rose bugs were gone. I think I used it two or three times after that to keep them away. You could also buy a pressurized garden sprayer, I bought mine at Walmart for $9.

What you want is the cold pressed organic need SEED oil. (The leaf oil is not as potent.)

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/oilprofile/neem_oil.php

http://www.atacoraessential.com/pure-and-versatile-cold-pressed-neem-oil/
 

Yvonne G

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Thank you so much, Kristina.

I'll see if I can order it online.
 
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