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I am black and yellow. I have a formidable sting and an exemplary social structure. Who am I ?
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For some years, with our 200 hives, we have been passionately interested in bees.
« Honey from the Pays Bleu » is the name we have chosen in tribute to the Luberon, a land of blue skies and lavender fields.
Every year, from spring to autumn, our bees gather nectar from flowers and the Provençal countryside as the hives are moved around between the Luberon, the Alpilles and Mont Ventoux.
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A WAX PALACE
Our bees come from a local strain which is renowned for its hardiness and follow an unchanging social pattern.
Each hive is a wooden palace with wax partitions and is home to 60,000 worker bees, 2000 males and a single queen.
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Nourished by her court, the queen is the only reproductive bee in the hive. The worker bees carry out all the necessary jobs which have to be done in the hive.
Sometimes in spring when the population of the hive is too big the queen decides to leave for another palace accompanied by some of her workers : we call this swarming.
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BEES AS ARCHITECTS
Bees are remarkable architects and have an innate sense of geometry which enables them to create wax alveoli in the shape of a perfect hexagon.
These alveoli are used as a larder (for honey and pollen) and as a cradle for the growing larvae.
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OUR HONEY
Honey is the result of the marriage of the flower and the bee.
It is the most perfect natural balance between plant, animal and man.
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Transhumance
From spring to autumn we move our bees around during the night looking for flowering plants : this is called “transhumance”.
In succession they visit :
- The wild hillsides (garrigue) of the Luberon and the Alpilles (thyme, rosemary, savoury, lavander and blackberry in flower…)
- The hillsides of the Drôme provençale for acacia and chestnut honey
- Lavender fields around Mont Ventoux.
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Harvesting
The wax film which covers the honey alveoli is removed with a knife. The honey is extracted from the honeycomb by centrifugal force.
To preserve its properties we guarantee that none of our honey is heat-treated. The crystallisation which takes place several weeks or months after collection is a natural process.
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Eating
Our honey is a healthy, balanced food, which is good for the body and tastes great.
You can use it all day long : on bread, in recipes requiring honey and in infusions...
It is delicious with nuts and dried fruits, in yoghurt or with fromage blanc. Honey should be stored in a dark place.
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Our single flower honeys
- Lavender honey : our bees harvest it in July at an altitude of 1000 metres in the area around Mont Ventoux. It is deliciously fragrant.
- Acacia honey : a sweet and delicate honey with a subtle floral aroma. It is ideal for cooking, yoghurts and infusions because it remains liquid. It is a favourite with children.
- Chestnut honey : this is a powerfully flavoured honey, both sweet and bitter. It is perfect for sweetening coffee or eating with cheeses. It is good for the circulation.
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Our mixed flower honeys
The rich variety of flowers in the Luberon and the Alpilles allows us to harvest honeys with many flavours. Flowers which appear at the same time of year combine well in honey. As the year progresses we collect spring honey, garrigue honey and summer flowers honey.
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OUR FLOWER POLLEN
Pollen is the only source of protein for bees. They harvest it from the flowers, making balls which stick to their back legs. We do not want to deprive them of proteins and only harvest the pollen for a short period using a drawer placed at the entrance to the hive.
Our pollen comes only from a protected environment with a variety of flowers and so contains the properties of a number of flower varieties visited by the bees.
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Rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins pollen is a tonic for the body.
It can be eaten all year round or used as a treatment for three weeks in spring and autumn : take 3 teaspoons at breakfast dissolved in water, in fruit juice, with yoghurt or just eat naturally.
It should be stored in a dark place.
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WELCOME TO THE FARM “BIENVENUE A LA FERME”
As honey producers we are members of the sales network in the Vaucluse “Bienvenue à la ferme” which sells farm produce direct to the public.
You can find our honey at the Moulin à Huile Jullien (Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt) where we welcome visitors.
Come and meet us. We will answer all your questions about bees.
If you would like to know more about the sales network « Bienvenue à la ferme » please visit : www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme.com
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