Acoustics Detects Grape-Eating Insects in Vineyards

Get Inside the Science:

• UF researchers use acoustic tools to detect underground insects that attack grapes
• Will Sanders: Grape Listener

Inside Science Buzzwords:

1. Grape root borer - An insect considered to be a pest because during the larvae (caterpillar) stage of development, it feeds on grapevine roots, killing the vine.
2. Mounding - A technique that places a mound of soil around the base of a grapevine, which forces grape root borers to travel farther to reach to surface; most borers don't survive.
3. Chlorpyrifos - A pesticide used to kill the grape root borer; it has also been found to have toxic effects in humans.