Heatwaves, droughts and forest fires … these events had a major impact on flower production. And without flowers, the bees found it even more difficult than in other years to produce their precious honey. Among the flowers not found, those of heather, much appreciated by beekeepers.
Sébastien Grollier, beekeeper in Marions in southern Gironde (oh time of the bees) lost half of its honey production.
Blame it on the summer fires. He had to remove 25 beehives in Hosteins as fire crackled in Landiras. He remembers :
The progression of the fires had to be anticipated. The owner told me: you have to be reactive, the fire is approaching. Three days before the fire, we cleared our hives.
Sebastien Grollier, beekeeper “O time for bees”in France 3 Aquitaine
A few kilometers further on, in Savignac, the Rucher de Bassane is managed by four BCAA associated beekeepers for organic production.
“We have been quite impressed, because we normally put 500 hives in the burned area, (Landiras Guillos Louchatz). Only at the end of June and beginning of July we decided not to take them, because we discovered that it was too dry. “ Thibaut Grollier tells us. An anticipation that allowed them to repair their hives from the incoming flames, but which clearly testifies to the degraded conditions of beekeeping.
Because in this sector what they were looking for above all, is the heather. A summer flower that this year has been roasted by the heat since the beginning of summer, then that has burned quite a lot in the middle of the fires, because its feet are mainly in the pine forests.
“After there were fires, we lost a lot of shots. Usually we put our hives on the fields and in exchange we give the pots to the owners “, Thibaut Grollier suit, “This winter we will have to find other locations for heather, especially calluna and sea buckthorn which is in May.” This year, with drought and fires, this loss of production of heather and calluna honey, which is its cousin but which blooms shortly after, made them lose 15 tons of honey production. a significant deficit.
Spring had already set the tone: “Production was poor this year because we had late frosts, which meant spring and acacia honeys were affected,” he explains. the beekeeper. But to this we must also add the other climatological risks of spring “a period of rain at the moment of flowering which washed out the flowers of the chestnut trees, and finally very high temperatures which caused the flowers to wither very quickly”.
But that was without counting the impending drought on all the places of settlement of the hives. A drought that causes the flowers to wither.
“We have moved a lot. We spent less time in the area because the flowers faded faster “
Thibaut Grollier, BCAA of Ruchers de Bassane
These conditions involved more work to achieve equivalent production: the hives having a lower production, it was necessary to multiply them.
And you also need to take care of them, especially by watering them. “It’s been two or three years since we started putting water in what we call the manger. Bees always need water, they take a drop that they bring back to the hive and let it ventilate to cool the hive. And. there are many dry streams or even dry ditches “. This vital little comfort for bees is also the comfort of neighboring humans, explains Thibaut Grollier, “That they have less difficulty in ventilating the hive and that they enter less into people’s pools or homes”.
Also this year, the GAECs have had to revise their production targets. Thirty tons this year, compared to 40-50 usually. Furthermore, its producers are still having difficulties with bee mortality. This has increased to 30% in recent years versus 5-10% in normal times. In addition to the killer glyphosate, there is also another predator: “Our workhorse is the varois: this mite that destroys hives, which transmits diseases and viruses”.
To help beekeepers near you and to ensure that bees, the keepers of biodiversity, can continue to find food, Nicolas evokes a single simple solution: stop cutting our trees and bushes. Any shrub can allow the bee to fill up when she can’t find what she’s looking for.
