Leafhoppers Are Pesky on Grapes Now

Q. I have a lot of  midgets or gnats in the leaves of my grape trees.  I don’t know what to do to kill them. If I touch the leaves these insects will fly all over me.

A. These are more likely leafhoppers and not gnats or midges. I have had others report these as gnats too but after confirming their presence with some pictures they agreed they were leafhoppers.

Leafhopper damage on grapes

Leafhoppers are very small and jump rather than fly. There can be hundreds, if not thousands right about now on grapes. They cause some leaf yellowing, black specks on the leaves and fruit.

The biggest problem with them is they are a nuisance. They will jump in your face and mouth when you walk by a grape vine. Here are some posts on my blog about leafhoppers on grapes

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2011/10/grape-leafhopper-damage-or-fleabeetle.html

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2015/04/leafhoppers-hornworm-and-skeletonizer.html

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2013/07/grape-leaf-problems-leafhoppers-and-iron.html

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2012/06/leaf-munching-on-grapes-whiteflies.html

Not much will work on them when they are adults like now. You can try soap sprays but I would not do much until next year. A couple of applications of Spinosad in late April and May to the undersides of leaves and tops will knock the populations back along with horticultural oils applications while it is cool in the late spring.