Seal Victory Over Long-tailed Mealybugs In Grapevines

07 August 2025, AU: In the ever-evolving landscape of viticulture, effective pest management is crucial for success.

Versys® insecticide from BASF is registered for use in grapevines and has already proven highly effective in horticulture crops. It offers an innovative approach to managing long-tailed mealybugs, a persistent challenge in Australian vineyards. 

Effective control of these pests requires a comprehensive, season-long strategy, as they can remain present in various life stages throughout the year. Seasonal fluctuations in weather can lead to rapid spikes and declines in population numbers, necessitating flexibility and adaptability in the choice of insecticides and spray timings to achieve effective control.

“Long-tailed mealybug is a challenging pest to control and manage within vineyards where it is found” said Mark Dicks, a Horticulture Technical Specialist at BASF. 

“Preparing an effective seasonal spray program requires some thought and planning around the choice of insecticide usage and matching the mode of action to the life cycle stage of the mealybug at the time of application.” 

An added layer of complexity comes in when working within the Dog book withholding period guidelines and residue management of the insecticide products used. 

“For growers producing grapes for export wine and following the AWRI Dog Book guidelines, Versys insecticide provides a very useful spray option right up to the pea-sized berry stage (EL 31)” he explained. 

Most other current commercial standards have Dog book restrictions before 80 per cent cap fall (EL 25), with some even earlier pre-flowering (EL 19). Versys insecticide, Group 9D, also provides a new mode of action in mealybug management programs and will assist in long term resistance management within viticulture.

Effective mealybug spray programs require a strategic and fully integrated approach to achieve robust and acceptable control levels, as well as ensuring the long-term sustainability of the products used. 

“Many growers may be spraying for mealybug on a regular basis without fully achieving the best value from their programs” Mark said. 

“It’s important to fully understand the different chemistries used in a program and match that to the life cycle stage that may be present at various timings in the growth of the vines. Some of the commercially available insecticides for mealybug control have activity on very specific mealybug life cycle stages and matching application timings to a susceptible life cycle stage will ensure the best levels of control.”  

Versys Insecticide has good efficacy on second and third mealybug instars and acts as a very good life cycle disruptor when these life cycle stages are dominant in a population.  

Although very effective, Versys has an added benefit of being very soft on beneficial insects within a vineyard and very compatible in an IPM program.

Beneficial insects play an important role in mealybug management and can be effective to help keep population numbers down with an elusive pest such as mealybug. Use of softer, but effective chemistry throughout a spray program gives beneficial insects like lacewings the ability to build up in number and provide complimentary and extended levels of control later into the crop.

As Mark pointed out, getting good spray coverage of mealybugs is an essential part of effective control and can be particularly challenging due to their preference to stay hidden, not just under leaves’ but also under the bark of the vine trunks. Coverage can also be challenging with varieties that have large dense canopies, or at later growth stage timings.

Long-tailed mealybug is an important vector of leafroll virus in Australia. A key benefit of Versys Insecticide is the rapid feeding cessation that it provides within minutes. With feeding halted, virus transmission can be significantly reduced.

“In viticulture regions where long-tailed mealybug is a significant threat, Versys will be a great addition to spray programs, giving a wide window of application timing, good life cycle disruption, IPM compatibility and assist with long term resistance management” Mark concluded.

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