Discovering bee hives in the woods

IT was raining and a light mist hung in the air, with drops on the knee high grass and rain on the wild strawberries and along the bank that skirts the wood overhanging the chestnut grove. 

But summer was still in the air. Catching sight of the low backed lorry stacked with yellow and white crates in a clearing, I approached, and the driver stepped down, happy to explain about his beehives or 'ruches'.

I held a just-pulled radish and he asked 'Is it 'sauvage' or wild? No, I said, but then were his bees?

How to define wild honey or bees? Would they be more 'sauvage' and fierce?

Later on, the birdsong had been replaced by a gentle buzzing, and the small insects were going about their business. 

The hives had been placed in a ring to pollenate the local chestnut trees, a symbiotic exchange.

The beekeeper will harvest the chataigne or chestnut honeycombs before moving them in a month to the nearby fields of sunflowers.

The bees will follow the flowering season, being given a constant food supply.

As the beekeeper explained, he studied entomology in Paris before moving to Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the 70's.

His wife and children all keep bees, his wife is president of a bee keeping society of France.

Let's hope that the asian hornet, 'le frelon asiatic' keeps away. 

Comments

[J Roger Clifford-Banks]

Carol, I think this goes with your piece. Long live bees, and all beekeepers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rpBAZEVHmI

[carol miers]

Thanks for that. Music for the workers.
Here's an interesting local site, that has an English version.
http://www.lerucherduperigord.fr/welcome.html

[J Roger Clifford-Banks]

I've just had a look at the site you mentioned above, and there's some good stuff there re the Asian Hornet. I think we should all be extremely vigilant; set traps, etc.