the essential
Beekeepers and supporters gathered this Saturday in June at the departmental apiary school for the inauguration of the new classroom.
The pretty frame is no longer visible, it is hidden by an insulating ceiling, the walls have been doubled and the simple windows have been replaced by double glazing. Everything you need for greater comfort. “This room was built 57 years ago by beekeepers with the means of the time and zero insulation. Today we finally have a real classroom with sound and thermal insulation” comments Cyril Mangenot coordinator and secretary of the association, while projecting visuals on the big screen presenting the progress of the work carried out in just a few weeks by volunteers who, thanks to their commitment, reduced the cost of purchasing the materials alone. The Community of Centre-Tarn communes and the Department contributed to these costs. In addition to these interior works, wastewater drainage and new gates were also carried out.
Uncertain mid-season assessment
“Halfway through the season, the harvest report shows a result that is not good at all,” says Jean-Yves Delandhuy, the president, “due to a rainy and colder season where the bees had to be fed and more than ever the Asian hornet is present. It was catastrophic last year, it looks set to be worse this year, we are doing everything we can to trap them.”
New, hives are now equipped with digital sensors that allow to monitor their activity over a season and to intervene quickly if they show signs of decline. The other advantage of this digitalization is to share the life of the hive with schools “Teachers and students can thus follow the life of the bees remotely during a course on nature”.
Before tasting a mead, the meeting ended with music with a piece entitled “L’abeille” performed by Bernard de Cabarrus on the keyboard and Nathalie Mollon on the clarinet.
