What's eating my regent grape?

Regent is a disease-resistant German hybrid grape grown outdoors in UK and northern European gardens. Its reduced fungal susceptibility means fewer spray programmes, which lets natural pest predators thrive. Main animal threats are birds and wasps at harvest. Grape leafhopper and spotted wing drosophila are the main insect concerns.

Blue-black ripe berries eaten or knocked from bunches; damage peaks in the two weeks around harvest; entire clusters can be stripped overnight Bird netting over the canopy from veraison; individual bunch bags as an alternative for smaller plants; harvest as soon as sugar levels are reached

Wasps excavate ripe berry flesh, leaving hollow skins; entry wounds allow botrytis infection which spreads through the bunch Muslin bunch bags from late summer; wasp-bait traps hung away from the vine; remove damaged berries immediately

Females lay eggs in intact ripe berries; larvae cause internal collapse and sourness; damage can be mistaken for botrytis at first Fine mesh netting excludes egg-laying females; spinosad-based bait traps around the vine; monitor with red-sphere or vinegar traps from July

Stippled white-yellow leaf surface; adults jump when disturbed; heavy infestations cause premature leaf drop and reduce bud hardiness going into winter Insecticidal soap on leaf undersides in early morning; parasitic wasps (Anagrus) provide natural control where non-disruptive spray programmes are maintained