Well it's lovely to be back....

[Haughton Honey]

....from my French holiday.

I travelled to the Burgundy region, where bee-keeping is a fairly large amd well-respected agricultural business. Every weekly town market usually has a local bee farmer selling his wares and every Intermarche (a supermarket chain) has a massive selection of local honey....all at a comparable price to our own, top-quality locally-produced honey.

Below is a photo of the Intermarche 'honey shelf' in La Clayette, about an hour West of Macon.....

 

[Lois]

honey porn, hmmm

 

[Onge]

Welcome back.

Yes the French do value quality food a lot more than the average Brit.

I do despair at our crap food choices in this country.

 

[kazmcc]

Welcome back Did anyone watch that series of coach trip? The one where they went to a French bee farm, where they said they are reknowned for their quite hostile bees? Knowing what I know now, it does suprise me, but are french bees much different from ours in temperament?

That picture of the local honey is amazing Such choice, I wonder how quickly it sells.

 

[Mike a]

Welcome back Did anyone watch that series of coach trip? The one where they went to a French bee farm, where they said they are reknowned for their quite hostile bees? Knowing what I know now, it does suprise me, but are french bees much different from ours in temperament?

That picture of the local honey is amazing Such choice, I wonder how quickly it sells.

They should visit my rural apiary on an average day when two of my four hives there are merely classified as hostile.

On a scale of 1-5 I'd rate them as maybe.

 

[victor meldrew]

Welcome back Did anyone watch that series of coach trip? The one where they went to a French bee farm, where they said they are reknowned for their quite hostile bees? Knowing what I know now, it does suprise me, but are french bees much different from ours in temperament?

That picture of the local honey is amazing Such choice, I wonder how quickly it sells.

I think that was Malta Kaz

John

 

[kazmcc]

I think that was Malta Kaz

John

Yes, you are right! Did you watch it? Not that I watched the program, it was just on when I came home, and there were bees on it so I thought I'd take a look. Are the bees in Malta moody?

 

[MrB]

Welcome back!
that looks like a good selection of honey on the photo!

 

[mbc]

....from my French holiday.

I travelled to the Burgundy region,
WPC - any talk of asiatic hornets ?

 

[keithgrimes]

I bought some Acacia honey when I was in Picardy in May. It was the best honey I have ever tasted

 

[DulwichGnome]

While I was there the other week I tagged on to a tour at an apiary and these French folk were happy to wander around working hives. Some one did go round and give them a blast of smoke but they were still flying.

 

[Peter Cox]

What was the purpose of the plastic box with the straw in it?

 

[victor meldrew]

An ad-hoc feeder would be my guess !

John Wilkinson

 

[DulwichGnome]

La Guillotine !!

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

For the kiddies to cuddle the baby bees within?

 

[Mike a]

short straw competition ?

 

[MJBee]

Smoker fuel - hay and straw are favourites over here.

Honey sells well too, but that is because it is cheap!! multi flower sells for less than £3 per lb. Single source is more expensive but I had a lovely Provence lavendar honey for £8 a KILO.

 

[Haughton Honey]

....from my French holiday.

I travelled to the Burgundy region,
WPC - any talk of asiatic hornets ?

No mention of Asiatic Hornets whilst I was there mbc......they were all too busy smiling over the fact that they'd had 5 straight weeks of 30c+ temps!

I brought back some Chestnut honey and some Acacia honey.......both fabulous.

I'm off again in mid-September (after finishing my Autumn feeding!) so will endeavour to bring a load more back.

 

[Dishmop]

What was the purpose of the plastic box with the straw in it?

Run Off strip for crash landings due to being overloaded with pollen.


I'm suprised that those people havent got bees bumping into them while they are walking about in the flight paths.

 

[Beechcomber]

Hi, I'm always pleased to see the market stalls with bee products in France. They must put a lot of effort in. Usually honey, pollen, royal jelly and lots of wax products. I expect if they are full time beekeepers they need to capitalize on what they've got.