What's eating my actinidia deliciosa?

Kiwifruit vines are attacked by greedy scale, leafroller caterpillars, and woolly vine scale — all significant in commercial and garden settings. In North America and Europe, spotted wing drosophila targets ripening fruit. Cats are attracted to young plants as with other Actinidia, and deer browse tender new growth.

Brown or white encrusted bumps on canes and branches; honeydew deposits; overall vine weakening and reduced fruit set. Apply horticultural oil (winter wash) when dormant; remove heavily infested canes; use systemic insecticide on young active crawlers in late spring.

Leaves rolled and tied with silk; caterpillars feeding inside the roll; fruit may be scarred if populations are high. Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray targeting early instar larvae; hand-unroll leaves and remove caterpillars; pheromone traps for adult moths.

Small puncture marks on ripening fruit from female egg-laying; fruit collapses and rots from the inside out. Monitor with apple cider vinegar traps; harvest fruit promptly when ripe; use fine mesh netting over developing fruit; spinosad-based spray around harvest period.

Young plants rolled on, chewed, and damaged — the vine's actinidine is a potent feline attractant. Protect young plants with wire cage for 2–3 years; once bark hardens the plant is far less vulnerable.