The Australian Wine Research Institute

Scale insects are sap-sucking pests that draw nutrients from plants and excrete a sugary liquid called honeydew. These insects are common in Australian vineyards but typically do not cause enough damage to warrant action to control them. In some circumstances, however, the population can reach a threshold where intervention is required to avoid fruit being downgraded or rejected. Because scale insects have not been considered a high priority for viticultural research, knowledge about their biology and ecology in vineyards is limited. This page provides links to a range of resources on scale insects in vineyards.