The Chestnuts are in flower (above), and that means that the local beekeepers bring in their hives.
We have plantations all around us, but one, about 150 metres away, now has a dozen hives amongst its ancient trees. This is an annual occurrence.
I'm very Bee-friendly, but they CAN be a nuisance. The beekeepers supply no water for the Bees, and as our pool is the nearest large supply of water, they head for chez Cro by the thousand.
I try to ignore them. I'm sure they mean me no harm. In return I leave a very large dish of water for them so that they don't go thirsty (above). I even put a few wettened stones in, so they have somewhere to sit whilst drinking. I think of everything.
It must be said that Chestnut honey is not the world's most popular. It is dark in colour and tastes rather bitter and 'earthy'. I quite like it, but most don't.
However, Bees are essential for a good Chestnut harvest. No Bees, no Chestnuts.
Personally I just sit and watch the Bees; others scream and head for the hills. I recommend the former!
When Max and I were on our property in the north a friend brought in a hive to help pollination of the avocados and we always made sure water was in a dish nearby for the bees.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise they all used to congregate around the pool steps, which wasn't nice!
DeleteWe get wasps around our taps and water sources. Many of them drown. Can't say I'm sorry. We don't get many bees anymore but I know there are a lot of hives up in the pine forest. Pine and thyme honey are popular here.
ReplyDeleteNo chestnut honey. I'd like to taste it to see the difference
Chestnut honey is instantly recognisable. It tastes very bitter, and has a strange colour.
DeleteI never realised that bees need water. I have a shallow saucer like yours that the birds ( and the dog) drink from. I shall put a stone in it to help the buzzy creatures!
ReplyDeleteYes, they need a 'beach' to sit on.
DeleteOur local honey is generally heather. We have an abundance near us. We buy it from the Farmers' Market and it is delicious.
ReplyDeleteI do like honey, but don't eat much of it. Too sweet for my taste.
DeleteI was thinking what wonderful honey, I have bought it a few times. It has a wonderful grain structure that spreads well on toast. My father and grandfather were large scale beekeepers.
ReplyDeleteI don't quite know why I never became a beekeeper. They have always fascinated me, although we did have a neighbour who kept bees, and he was stung every day and needed to take medicine. I suppose that put me off.
DeleteChestnut trees , unless I am mistaken , are fairly stinky to put it mildly. :)
ReplyDeleteThey have a very particular aroma when in flower; as at the moment. The air smells very 'musty'. I don't dislike it, but many do.
DeleteThe bees are very important and are currently very busy. Bee keeping is a popular hobby for some. I buy local honey from a beekeeper friend.
ReplyDeleteI've just had some with my breakfast, from a local man. It wasn't Chestnut honey; just described as 'Flower'. It's really a bit too sweet for my taste, but very nice.
DeleteI love chestnut honey - I buy it from the Eataly store in downtown TO = it's pricy for a very small jar but a real treat.
ReplyDeleteYou are brave to swim with all those bees around - it would make me very nervous!
Yes, I like the flavour of Chestnut honey too. With the bowl of water nearby, they tend to stay away from the pool water. It's only a couple of feet from the poolside, but it keeps them busy. I haven't been stung yet (this year).
DeleteI don't think I've ever seen a bee here - plenty of wasps but no bees. Of course we don't have Chestnut trees, so that may be the reason. An inland valley town has a shop selling locally sourced flavoured honey, so those bees must be from hives.
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