Skip to main content

6 Craziest Vineyard Pests: Birds, Boars, and Baboons, Oh My!

A vineyard pest is anything that causes a nuisance amid the tidy rows of grapes where winemakers source their fruit. Traditionally, the pest comes in the form of an insect infestation like phylloxera or a flock of starlings right around harvest time. Because wine is very much an international enterprise with a tremendous diversity of regions and styles, there’s a wilder cast of characters on the vineyard pest list than you might think.

Baboons

baboon

The wildness of South Africa results in a number of rather crazy vineyard pests. Baboons take the cake as the most out-there of the bunch. The sometimes aggressive critter is known to feast on vine tendrils and buds in Western Cape vineyards. Whereas wineries in the states fire off propane cannons or amplified recordings of birds of prey to keep finches and starlings away, some South African wineries use sound bites of lion roars to keep baboons at bay.

Related Videos

Migratory Birds

canada geese

Birds on the seasonal move like the Canada Goose don’t usually chow down on expansive plantings of Pinot Noir but when certain conditions align it can happen. In 2011 in the Willamette Valley, one of the latest harvests ever meant fruit hanging on the vine well into November at some estates. Birds en route to the south for winter stopped in vineyards for a snack and some added energy to help their travels. The devastation was so bad that the vintage still haunts winegrowers and is known locally as “the year of the birds.”

People

car flipped over in a vineyard
ManicBlu/Getty Images

It’s easy to overlook humans as they tend to congregate around the bar for another pour of wine. Yet, people can wreak real havoc in the vineyard. There are the more obvious potential problems — drunk drivers crashing into priceless old vines of Merlot or curious tourists looking to sample ripening grapes. And there are the more unusual tales, like heartbreaking stories of grape theft under cover of night or disease being spread unknowingly from a person to an estate. The latter is surprisingly common and a major reason why some wineries don’t allow tours or sterilize their farm equipment often. Phylloxera loves to find a human host, whether it’s the boots he’s wearing or the tractor he’s driving.

Long-Horned Grasshoppers

grasshopper
Wolfgang Kaehler/Getty Images

This specific type of terrestrial is known to swarm in certain parts of the world in biblical fashion. In South Africa, especially, the herbivores like to dine on grape leaves, leaving holes in the plants. The bugs seems to really like warm and dry winters, which are good for their larvae. What to do? Go higher up the food chain with bug-eating animals like bats or certain birds. That, or cross your fingers for a mild winter.

Boars

boar in the field

In Italy, boars are capable of causing real headaches in wine regions like Chianti or Umbria. Not the most graceful animal in the kingdom, the boar can tear through an estate, pouncing on roots and noshing on grapes. Smart and industrious, they’re also capable of getting through many of the weaker vineyard fences. They’re also deliciously gamey and serve well in a cinghiale pasta with a glass of Brunello. Credit to the board for having such discerning taste. Recall that this is the animal that also has a taste for wild truffles.

Elk

elk in the open field

In the Pacific Northwest, it’s not uncommon to see elk in and around wine country. While the herds tend to stick to higher, wooded terrain, the large mammal will sometimes wander into a vineyard. Many growers protect their crop with taller deer fencing but occasionally, in unprotected estates, a group of elk will saunter through a vineyard and leave a wake of stomped-on vines. It’s rare, with smaller, young plantings being the most vulnerable, but it’s not unheard of. But it is less terrifying than a black bear, an animal that will occasionally treat itself to a vineyard lunch in places like British Columbia.

Editors' Recommendations

My Favorite Neighbor is changing up the artisan wine game
A bottle of My Favorite Neighbor wine next to a glass with casks in the background.

This content was produced in partnership with My Favorite Neighbor.
Think back to the last time you were perusing the shelves of your local store for your next bottle of wine. You certainly looked at the different types of wine, and probably paid some attention to which part of the world this or that bottle came from -- but how much did you think about the vineyards, their farming practices, and the people making the wine? My Favorite Neighbor is cultivated from the idea that winemaking should focus on community and wellness as well as quality, with the result being artisan wines without prohibitive pricing or pretense.
Shop Wine

My Favorite Neighbor was established in 2006 with an emphasis on organic farming methods, pure wine with no additives, community investment, and environmentally-conscious farming. Farmer-winemaker Eric Jensen named the wine after his neighbor and mentor, winemaker Stephan Asseo of L'Aventure Winery. Every time Jensen would call his friend, Asseo would answer and refer to himself as Eric's "favorite neighbor." Since then, one neighbor has become many, and My Favorite Neighbor now partners with neighboring "A+" vineyards to source the grapes for its wine.

Read more
What to Drink During Pride Month and Beyond
A clank of two rainbow glasses

There are so, so many things to do during Pride month. While you should be dancing in the streets and supporting organizations fighting the good fight, you should also be raising a glass in the name of LGBTQ+ equality. Fortunately, we have just the drinks that fit the important part.

We've rounded up some of the best drinks to toast the occasion, from wines and spirits to a few nonalcoholic options. Not only are these well-made options worthy of your glass, but they're either owned by members of the LGBTQ+ community or those actively helping aid-related causes. These are brands that give back, either through financial donations or awareness, showing the drinks world — and the world at large, for that matter — both the importance of this kind of brand leadership and the need for much more.

Read more
Americans to Buy More Mezcal and Tequila Than Whiskey In 2022
Mezcal from the Sierra Norte de Puebla served with cantaloupe and grasshoppers

For the first time, Americans are anticipated to spend more money on mezcal and tequila than they will on U.S.-made whiskeys or rum in 2022, according to a IWSR Drinks Market Analysis estimates. The British data and analytics firm estimates $13.3 billion in combined agave spirit sales versus $12.5 billion for vodka and $12.3 billion for whiskey. By 2023, IWSR estimates the agave category also will have supplanted vodka, making the potent distillation the U.S.’s most-purchased spirit.

What’s driving this proliferation? Similar to whiskey in the recent past, a number of drivers are escalating agave spirit popularity, including originality, product diversity, and consumer involvement.

Read more