SAINT OURS: Beekeepers across France are grappling with a catastrophic year for honey production, reporting losses of up to 80% as bees face starvation due to adverse weather conditions.
In Saint-Ours-les-Roches, central France, beekeeper Mickael Isambert has seen a 70% drop in honey yield, with his 450 hives producing only five to seven kilos of honey per hive, compared to the usual 15 kilos. He has been forced to feed his bees sugar to help them survive after a cold and rainy spring.
Bees have struggled to gather pollen and nectar due to persistent rain and low temperatures, which have led to reduced honey production nationwide. The French national beekeeping union (Unaf) reports that spring honey production has plummeted by up to 80% in some regions, with summer harvests unlikely to compensate. Rainfall this year has increased by 45% above the average, exacerbating the problem.
Jean-Luc Hascoet, a beekeeper in Brittany, noted that temperatures remained below 18°C (64°F), hindering nectar production. Many colonies have perished from starvation as the bee population grew and their food reserves dwindled. Unaf warns that these weather conditions pose a serious threat to the viability of many beekeeping operations across France.
