How to keep wasps off grapes?

[dido72]

Is there anything I can put on my grapes to keep the wasps etc off them, I have seen the vines in fields with powder on them, is this an insecticide?

I need something that is safe for children to be around, preferably organic.

[La Raya]

In the spring they often put sulphur powder on vines in order to prevent mildew and other fungal diseases. So this may possibly be the powder you have seen. Wasps are normally only interested in ripe fruit, so your grapes may be ready for picking. We have started to eat ours - sharing them along with the birds and the wasps.

If you want to protect them on the vine, you could try fastening them in paper or muslin bags, but I'm not aware of any safe way of treating them to keep the wasps off, if you want to be able to eat them.

[dido72]

Thanks Bob I think they must be ripe now, I will go and have a try although both vines have green grapes and our landlady said that one was red grapes

I think I need to sort out the wasp problem separately! They don't bother us much but I'm always scared of the kids standing on one and they seem to take refuge in our undercover terrace in the afternoon so it's not very comfortable under there for us . Our landlady told us to spray petrol on them and the nests but I am a bit wary of this especially having 3 young children around!!!

[ron]

Keep a bottle of vinegar handy. If they get stung dab the sting with the vinegar

[dido72]

Thanks for that ron, they haven't been too bad so far but I believe they get nastier later in the year!

[katy]

We have started eating our grapes this week. Just the normal green ones but they are the seedless ones. They are so good