Most wine producing countries have pest problems – from spider mites to rabbits. But South Africa tops them all with baboons causing real issues for grape growers.
Now I’d never heard of this until yesterday but I think baboons are pretty cool (incidentally, why are their bottoms so red?) and don’t get much coverage in the wine press, and I couldn’t resist writing about them.
Baboons have been a real problem at Klein Constantia winery for some time. They eat the grapes and can often rip off the cane that’s going to provide next year’s fruit while they’re pulling bunches off.
There are now several kilometres of electric fencing around the 146-hectare property to protect the vines from the baboons. Adam Mason, winemaker at Klein Constantia says, “It’s expensive but the baboons are quite destructive and they are becoming less and less frightened of people.â€
At Groot Constantia beaters are employed to scare the baboons away but as the baboons get braver and braver, you wonder how long that will continue.
Anyone got any other strange vineyard pest stories? Baboons would be hard to beat surely?
