A living vineyard is a vineyard populated by insects, which are key to biodiversity. Although with hermaphrodite flowers the vines don t need to be pollinated by bees, the fruit trees planted around them do. Their fruit nourishes birds that chase away unwanted pests. The ladybird is also a friend of the vine as it feeds on mites and aphids. The golden beetle eats certain harmful species, while the bush cricket feeds on aphids and caterpillars and is eaten by animals such as reptiles, birds and spiders. The rhinoceros beetle helps break down dead wood, mould and animal droppings. The pellets it buries fertilise the soil. Rabbits, foxes and many species of birds are also natural hosts in a healthy vineyard.
Birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, crickets, grasshoppers and locusts have all returned. In total, 60 species have been spotted at Taissy, including 29 protected and 18 heritage species.
This spring, several nesting boxes were installed for blue tits, great tits, and the Eurasian wren. A large refuge for bats and around fifty shelters for insects have also been added to continue fostering biodiversity.
FAUNA THAT NURTURES THE VINES