Can you afford to skip a year of mating disruption?
The real cost of skipping a year.
If you saw these signs last season and don't act this year, next year's problem will likely be worse—and more expensive.
contaminated clusters
sooty mold on fruit
wet bark
October trap counts that didn't match expectations
Why VMB gets worse when you wait.
Each season without mating disruption, populations grow exponentially. What costs X this year costs 2-3X next year.
Vine Mealybug hides under bark beyond spray reach. They spread during mechanical harvesting. And managing them with insecticides alone means fighting an uphill battle against:
Limited product options
Coverage challenges
Rising costs
Neighbor populations migrating into managed blocks
Research shows
Isomate VMB pheromone maintains consistent release rates from bud break through harvest.
VMB grape infestations are reduced compared to a grower standard program alone.
Flight activity
Grape infestation
Isomate VMB mating disruption changes the equation.
Blankets the field with female pheromones: No under-bark application needed
180-210+ days of protection: Covers the critical late-season flight
Equipment-proof control: Keeps working even as harvest equipment moves populations block to block
Proven performance: Field trials show consistent season-over-season pressure reduction
Limited product options
Coverage challenges
Rising costs
Neighbor populations migrating into managed blocks
Technical Specifications
120-200 dispensers/acre application rate
Available in CA & OR
This year matters. One application helps prevent next season's VMB surge.
Best practices for VMB management:
✓ Monitoring to track pressure
✓ Insecticides for knockdown
✓ Mating disruption for season-long suppression
✓ Coordinated area-wide management
Manage populations now. Avoid costly outbreaks later.
Our entomologists can assess your situation and design a customized approach.
Pick up the phone – real expertise is just a call away.
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Jeannine Onstott
Northern California
(209) 603-9244
jonstott@pacificbiocontrol.com
Jeannine was hired in 2014 and has 15+ years of experience with tree crop management and codling moth mating disruption. She has a B.S. in Entomology and maintains her PCA license. She previously worked for the UCCE San Joaquin Farm Advisor’s office.
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Joseph Devencenzi
Coastal, Central & Southern California
(209) 642-0136
jdevencenzi@pacificbiocontrol.com
Joe has worked for Pacific Biocontrol since 2020. He has worked in the field with 12+ years of experience in fruit and nut production in addition to Wine Grapes. He has a B.S. in Agricultural Business with a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture.
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Glenn Thayer
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Montana, Hawaii, and British Columbia
(509) 961-3024
Glenn has been with Pacific Biocontrol since 1997 and has an MS degree in entomology. He has 18 years of education and 25+ years of research and field experience.