Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

Scorching summer takes toll on bees and honey harvests in France

Bees collect water to mix with pollen as part of the honey-making process, but persistent drought and successive heatwaves are making this more challenging.
Bees collect water to mix with pollen as part of the honey-making process, but persistent drought and successive heatwaves are making this more challenging. © ASSOCIATED PRESS - Jacquelyn Martin

France produces 20,000 tonnes of honey each year, but successive heatwaves and persistent drought across Europe this summer are impacting bee populations as flowering plants dry out and colonies struggle to find food. Beekeeper Romain Lacotte and his family farm 1,000 hives in Haute-Corrèze, central France, an area considered one of the country's natural water towers. But even there, he tells RFI, high temperatures and lack of rain are taking their toll.

RFI: What happens to your bees in extreme heat?

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.