Hiking with a beekeeper

Beekeeping in the Ardèche

Julien de la Rocca, mountain leader and beekeeper, member of Ardèche Randonnées, takes us on a hike in the Ardèche to discover his beehives.

He lives at the foot of the Ardèche mountains, aboveAubenas, not far from Mas de la Fontenette, a 4-star holiday cottage with swimming pool on the edge of the Gorges de l’Ardèche nature reserve between Labastide de Virac and Vallon Pont d’Arc.

The Ardèche is one of the departments with the highest number of beekeepers. It has to be said that the region offers many advantages. The diversity of soils and climates means that we can produce a wide range of honeys: acacia, heather, garrigue, chestnut, lavender and mountain. Our favourite is without hesitation chestnut honey.

Harvesting honey

For an ideal apiary, face due south and shelter it from the prevailing winds. The entire colony organises itself into a society. The queen maintains cohesion. She is the mother of all the workers, who work hard to bring the precious nectar from the flowers back to the hive. Once enriched with enzymes, this nectar is transformed into honey. At the height of the season, a hive can have up to 50,000 bees. Beekeepers have been domesticating bees for a long time.

Traditionally, in the Cévennes, the hive was built from a chestnut trunk and covered with a slate roof. Today, these are almost exclusively replaced by frame hives, which are much lighter and more practical…. But don’t forget the smoker, an essential tool for a close visit if you want to avoid stings.

The honey is extracted as follows: 1) The combs are uncapped, i.e. the wax sealing the cells is removed. 2) The honey is then allowed to flow, either on its own or by centrifugation. 3) It is then left to mature in barrels. Finally comes the tasting…