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Pests
Scale Insects on Kiwi Vines
Commonly affects: Actinidia deliciosa, A. chinensis (Kiwi)
Small, immobile brown or grey bumps attach to canes and leaf undersides, secreting honeydew and weakening the vine over time.
Potential Causes
- 1Scale insects establishing on woody canes and leaf undersides
- 2Ants farming scale colonies for honeydew
- 3Stressed or crowded vines being more susceptible
Solution Steps
- 1Apply horticultural oil during the dormant season to smother overwintering scale
- 2Scrape off visible colonies by hand for light infestations
- 3Prune out heavily infested canes
- 4Introduce parasitic wasps for biological control in persistent cases
Prevention Tip
A dormant-season horticultural oil spray is the most effective single treatment for scale on woody kiwi canes.
