Camping de Grange Neuve

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🐝 Our Hives 🌺

Bees are pollinating insects that live in groups called colonies or swarms. Each colony has its own social structure, consisting of a queen, thousands of workers and a few males. The queen plays a crucial role in the reproduction and survival of the colony.

Beehives house bee colonies, there are several types. We chose the Dadant hive, which consists of a wooden box with several removable compartments. The main body of the hive is completed by a raised compartment, called a "super", where the bees store honey when the main part is full of brood and wax. In a way, it is an attic used when the house is full.

To produce honey, it is important to choose a good location for the hives. Ideally, a sunny place, sheltered from the wind, and close to flowers or fruit trees. Our hives are installed near the Saint-Jean greenhouse, to the northeast of the campsite, and some are moved near the lavender fields during flowering.

We regularly check the condition of the colonies to ensure that they are in good health, monitoring the presence of diseases or parasites (such as varroa). Seasonality plays a crucial role, as the bees prepare for the honey harvest according to the flowering and weather conditions.

Honey harvesting takes place in the spring and summer, when the hive supers are full. At this time, we remove the frames containing the honey, making sure to leave enough honey for the bees to survive the winter.

The honey is then extracted using a centrifuge called an "extractor". We remove the wax caps that cover the honey before placing the frames in the extractor. The rapid rotation allows the honey to be extracted, which is then filtered to remove impurities.

After extraction, the honey is put in a jar, labeled and stored in a cool, dark place to preserve its aromas and benefits. Given its high glucose and fructose content, honey naturally has the ability to keep for a very long time. It is then mainly sold on request at the campsite at a price of €8 for a 500g jar.