First Paragraph: It is that time of year again, time to worry about mites. I will be the first one to admit that I find dealing with mites in Lodi vineyards a difficult issue. I have two main reasons: 1) It is very difficult to accurately estimate their level of infestation because their distribution in the vineyard is often patchy; and 2) There is not a whole lot of data to go on regarding treatment thresholds and impacts that mite damage have on winegrape yield and quality. Furthermore, it seems that Pacific mite is becoming more common in the Lodi region and this species behaves much differently than Willamette mite so being able to tell them apart is very important in dealing with them successfully.
