There are not many privileged people who have tasted Marais honey, with its delicious taste of lime and a slight minty note. No wonder: the last harvest only yielded 30 kilos (the equivalent of 60 pots) and the previous one 1,5 kilos. Which is not bad for a production started in 2019 on the roof of the Carreau du Temple.
It is there, eight meters above the street, that beekeeper André Behlouli installed three hives, with the association of beekeeping health defense groups (GDSA 94 and 75), which manages numerous apiaries. Thus, Marais honey is added to those, also Parisian, produced on the roofs of the Opéra Garnier (2nd), the Crédit municipal (4th) and the Jardin du Luxembourg (6th).
“For the Carreau du Temple, I planted Buckfasts, which are a less aggressive species than the black bee (apis mellifera) or Italian bee (apis mellifera ligustica), explains this enthusiast who is also the vice-president of the Groupement de bee health defense, dedicated to the preservation of striped foragers. Buckfast is very hardworking and its queen is very prolific, specifies this retired engineer. It is a favored breed in Parisian squares, woods, gardens, parks and cemeteries. »
At “Carreau”, André Behlouli has set up 3 hives with 20.000 bees each. At the peak of the beekeeping season (May-June), this insect population can increase three or four times.
Here, the management of the cultural institution resurrects a tradition. “Not long ago, there were around ten hives here but they had been empty for a while,” says Sandrina Martins, the director of Carreau who, with the general secretary of the place, Christophe Teillout, is responsible for ensuring the development of the swarms. . And good news, so far, so good.
Text: Katia Barillot
Photos and video: ©Anaïs Costet
07.05.20
