30,572 tonnes is the amount of honey that French beekeepers produced in 2022. Shall we do better this year? Yet this does represent a considerable 55% increase on 2021. Will July’s drought have affected the honey in our apiaries? August is a harvest month, however, and it is time to take out all the frames. Together, we shall look at the month’s work to be planned before focusing on varroa mites in this article.
France is split into regions where the weather has been advantageous and others where it has not. Our foragers have been able to benefit where rain was followed by sunny days. In the coming weeks, many beekeepers will start the summer harvest (sunflowers, lavender, etc.). Together, we shall look at the month’s work to be planned before focusing on the propolis and the brood’s development.
Did you know that only 1% of the foragers in a beehive gather propolis. In terms of weight, it’s the smallest harvest: from 50 to 150 g/year on average.
April is a very busy month for beekeepers. They are very often needed by their bees, especially when they have a lot of apiaries, which involves lots of movement. Together we shall look at the month’s work to be planned before focusing on the queen and the drone in this article.
Did you know that a swarm can reach almost 80,000 bees at the moment? This is a sign of overpopulation. A swarm may be forming for the bees and it is a race against time for the beekeeper.
March is the sign of a new start for beekeepers. With temperatures rising in the south of France, it’s time to take a look at the brood. Together, we’ll look at the right habits to prepare your hive in the best possible way.
Did you know that although the queen stopped laying in winter, she’s gradually starting up again and will be laying almost 2,000 eggs a day now?
This month in your API blog of the month, we’re going to talk about beeswax, an important material in the beehive. The beekeeper gathers it to be processed during the autumn, when the season is quieter.
The wax lids recovered from the frames during uncapping will be used to make honeycomb-textured beeswax sheets. Did you know that on average, our bees need to produce 8 kg of honey to make 1 kg of wax?
This month in your API blog of the month the focus is on hive insulation. When the temperature drops considerably and the rain sets in in our areas, we need to prepare our bees for winter.
Choosing a feeder is not always easy. We’ll take a look at the different models on the beekeeping market. Did you know a hive needs 12 to 15 kg of food (honey or supplement) to get through the winter?
This month in your API blog of the month, propolis (or bee glue as it is sometimes known) will be in the spotlight. But do you really know about this beehive product?
This month in your API blog of the month, we shall focus on harvesting honey through the different stages from the super to the honeypot: brushing, uncapping, label standards, etc. This year, many of you will be starting your first harvest. In two years, there have been almost 20,000 new amateur beekeepers in the country!
The season’s almost over and it’s time to prepare for the next one. This month in your API blog of the month, we talk about the level of reserves, which is changing with the beautiful blooms coming out, then we’ll analyse the size of our bee populations as autumn approaches, before ending on a completely different topic: introducing queens.
A lacklustre mid-season after a very fast start…
In your API of the month we talk about this slowdown, as well as wild bees and alfalfa honey…
