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Research into the sex life of bugs a boon to Washington’s wine industry

by Digital Team
August 25, 2022

PHOTO: WSU entomology professor Doug Walsh explains to U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-8th Dist.) how sex pheremones confuse the Grape Mealy Bug and interfere with its mating habits. (NW Newsradio)

It’s a big deal because mealy bugs carry a virus called grape vine leaf roll disease which prevents wine grapes from ripening, rendering them useless to Washington vintners. A block grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the research. Click the play arrow to hear Corwin Haeck’s report.

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