Most cultivated grapes – like the kinds you see in our vineyard – are self-pollinating. They contain both pistils (female) and stamens (male) meaning they don’t need bees to pollinate and can rely solely on the wind. This does not, however, mean that bees don’t play an important role in the vineyard ecosystem.
Cover Crops
Grape vines can take around three years to become established and start bearing fruit and, as such, are typically grown as a monocrop. Monocropping – growing the same crop on the same land year after year – while efficient, can lead to nutrient depletion and an increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. This is where cover crops, such as grasses and clover, come in. They provide numerous benefits including regulating the soil’s nitrogen & nutrient levels, preventing erosion, and moisture retention. Bees help to pollinate these crops ensuring they come back year after year and maintain the overall health of the vineyard.
Beneficial Insects
Bees’ presence can also increase the number of beneficial insects in the vineyard. By pollinating the cover crops, bees ensure that a greater variety of insects find their homes among the vines. Parasitic wasps for instance, feed on mealybugs and moths that would otherwise do damage to the vines.
Harvest Time
Around harvest time you might start to notice increased bee activity in the vineyard and on the patio. Nectar is a major food source for bees and they are attracted to the sweet scents of ripening grapes and the wine in your glass! It can be frustrating, both to see bees feeding on the grapes before harvest and to be fighting off bees while enjoying a meal on the patio. We ask that you be respectful as we need the bees for our vineyard to thrive.
It all comes down to biodiversity. Seeing bees in the vineyard is a sign of a diverse and healthy ecosystem and greater biodiversity means less of a need for chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides.
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