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  • April 1st 2006 Issue

    • Asian lady beetle taints wine

    Taste tests show that even small numbers of lady beetles can spoil wine flavor.

    The multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) is a voracious predator, feeding on aphids as well as other pests. According to information compiled by Minnesota State University entomologists R.L. Koch and W.D. Hutchinson, adults are known to feed on up to 65 aphids per day. When prey is scarce, the lady beetle will feed on pollen and nectar. Though lady beetles are usually desired in integrated pest management programs because of their appetite for aphids, this cousin of the common lady beetle has become a pest in vineyards because it can taint wines and juices with off flavors. When the […]

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    Picture of Melissa Hansen
    Melissa Hansen
    Melissa Hansen is the research program director for the Washington State Wine Commission. Hansen previously was an associate editor at Good Fruit Grower from 1996 through 2015. Read her stories: Author Index
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