Ant Towers

Dear lover of grapes,

Ants are landscape architects par excellence. They not only build tunnels and underground structures, but also veritable skyscrapers. The ant tower in the photo above is about 40 cm high!

What's curious about their towers is that they choose a specific type of grass that is very strong. They then use this grass like reinforcing steel for their structures. It grows quite tall – and my sheep don't like to eat it. So for me, it's rather a nuisance. Since ants are known to spread seeds in nature, I suspect the little rascals are also carrying around the seeds of this unwanted grass.

But these industrious builders also do a lot of good: their tunnels and structures loosen the soil structure and bring in oxygen. They also remove all sorts of insects and insect remains, thus being an active part of the ecosystem.

Now we're waiting for dry weather so we can start the grape harvest. If anyone would like to help, please get in touch. During the grape harvest, we are often a diverse group of people from all over, leading to many fun and interesting conversations. Our volunteers receive a wine voucher worth CHF 25 per hour worked.

All the best, Hoss