Pest identification
What's eating my hardy kiwi?
Cats
Signs: Cats are attracted to Actinidia compounds; they roll on, chew, and dig at crowns and roots, causing severe physical damage especially to young plants.
Control: Protect the crown with a wire cage or hardware cloth cylinder until the trunk is established; thorny rose cuttings laid around the base can deter.
Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) — US
Signs: Skeletonised leaves with veins remaining; metallic green beetles visible on foliage in midsummer.
Control: Hand-pick in the morning; use neem oil or pyrethrin; avoid Japanese beetle traps near the vine.
Deer
Signs: Young shoot tips, leaves, and bark browsed in spring and autumn; stem rubbing by bucks in autumn.
Control: Install deer fencing or individual stake-and-wire guards; apply deer repellent spray around the perimeter.
Birds
Signs: Small ripe fruits pecked as they soften in late summer to autumn.
Control: Drape bird netting over the fruiting zone once fruits begin to soften; remove after full harvest.
Keep hardy kiwi pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Hardy Kiwi pests — FAQ
What is eating my hardy kiwi?
Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia arguta) has few serious insect pests but is strongly attractive to cats, which will gnaw roots and crown like catnip. Japanese beetles feed on foliage in the US. Deer browse new growth and birds take ripe fruit. Root protection and deer fencing are priorities in the first years.
How do I get rid of cats on hardy kiwi?
Cats are attracted to Actinidia compounds; they roll on, chew, and dig at crowns and roots, causing severe physical damage especially to young plants. Protect the crown with a wire cage or hardware cloth cylinder until the trunk is established; thorny rose cuttings laid around the base can deter.
How do I get rid of japanese beetle (popillia japonica) — us on hardy kiwi?
Skeletonised leaves with veins remaining; metallic green beetles visible on foliage in midsummer. Hand-pick in the morning; use neem oil or pyrethrin; avoid Japanese beetle traps near the vine.
How do I get rid of deer on hardy kiwi?
Young shoot tips, leaves, and bark browsed in spring and autumn; stem rubbing by bucks in autumn. Install deer fencing or individual stake-and-wire guards; apply deer repellent spray around the perimeter.
How do I get rid of birds on hardy kiwi?
Small ripe fruits pecked as they soften in late summer to autumn. Drape bird netting over the fruiting zone once fruits begin to soften; remove after full harvest.