Last Monday, as we drove through Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon on our way to the airport, we passed a sign that said there was honey to be bought there. We went to investigate on Wednesday morning, but it was only opened from 15 to 19 h. Today, we paid a visit in the afternoon.

Rant about non-Dutch bicycles

We went to Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon by bicycle. Being Dutch, I am used to the Dutch type of bicycle and had no idea there are any other types of bicycles in existence. Now I know better. And these foreign bicycles aren’t made for me, I can tell you! In my opinion, a saddle should support you. I’m not fat, but a saddle with a breadth of approximately 20 cm is way too small. I don’t know who thought of that, but I think it a really bad idea. Painful even, in the most literal meaning of the word.

And then there is the height of the handlebars. Which is the same or even lower than the saddle. How awkward is that! After less than 15 km, with a long break in the middle, my whole body hurts. My back and neck are worst off, but my private parts aren’t too happy either. This is not an experience I would like to repeat, and I suddenly understand why cycling has never become as popular in other countries as it is in The Netherlands.

Visiting the beekeeper

So, we cycled to the beekeeper in Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon and secured the bicycles in front of the house. We wouldn’t want someone to steal them, would we now…? Christophe rang the bell and soon after, the door was opened by a small woman all dressed in pink. Needless to say, she instantly stole our hearts.

She invited us into her home, in which she has a room that serves as a shop. You can tell by the way it is decorated that she put in a lot of love and effort. She told us she changes the decoration according to the season. She also has a display of over 100 empty honey pots that she has gathered over the years. People sent her their empty pots from all over the world.

Making a living selling honey

We found out that she is 74 years old, and her husband 76. He was out placing hives somewhere, for they still work, though they do not have as many hives as they used to. They started out 40 years ago and have made a living out of it. At the height of their career, they had 600 hives and a loss of bees of 5% per year. Over the years, that number has gone up dramatically. They now have years where they lose up to 75% of bees. They now count themselves lucky if they lose “only” 40% in a year.

Why do bees die?

I asked her if this was due to the varroa mite, but she told me no. It’s insecticides. She explained that after the season, when they open the hives, they now often find them plenty of honey yet empty of bees. This happens when the bees have come into touch with an insecticide. It is meant to kill, and it works really well. Most bees die in the field. Some of them do make it home, but their nervous system is wracked. They cannot find the entrance to the hive and they die on the ground near the hive. It’s heartbreaking and sad and scary, because we depend on bees for a large part of our food. They pollinate our plants and that’s crucial for the formation of fruits and vegetables.

What can we do?

We knew this already, but talking to this woman who has lived with bees for more than 4 decades really brought the message home. She almost cried as she told us about her dead and dying bees. So let’s wake up and do something! The least you can do is sign a petition. For instance here, but just do a google search and you will find plenty. But better than that, buy organic as much as you can. Because that really is the only way forward.

The cost of honey

Of course we bought honey, that’s what we came for. But only after we had the pleasure of tasting 4 different kinds of them 🙂 Due to the bees dying, the price of honey has gone up. We bought 500 g of “miel de foret” (forest honey) at € 8,50 and 500 g of “miel de sarrasin” (buckwheat honey) at € 10,30. That may seem expensive, but that is the price we pay for killing our bees.