Honey is decreasing due to climate change

This year's honey yields in the area of ​​the Pljeval municipality were somewhat better than last year, but insufficient for economically profitable beekeeping.

This is what the president of the Matica Beekeeping Association claims. Žarko Dragasević, stating that average honey yields were five to ten kilograms per hive, which is below average.

The yields, Dragašević points out, depended on where the bees were, whether they moved and how many times, whether they wintered in the southern regions...

"We are facing a series of unsuccessful beekeeping seasons, and we can already talk about the uncertain practice of beekeeping because climate change has affected beekeeping so much that even the best beekeeping experts can no longer predict when which pasture begins and when it ends, so it is difficult to prepare beekeeping community for eventual meddling", said Dragasevic for "Vijesti".

He substantiated his claims with the example of the village of Glibaći, which is considered the safest and most honey-bearing area of ​​the Pljeval municipality.

"The season was so bad that people don't remember it like that. All those who moved to Glibaće mostly suffered big losses", said Dragašević, who has more than 140 beehives in the oil farm.

He says that the average yield of honey in his apiary this year was below 5 kilograms per hive.

"Part of the hives, about 30, that I moved to Podgorica gave an average of 12 kilograms of honey each, which is satisfactory. Half of the beehives in the Pljeval village of Dragaši at 1.000 meters above sea level yielded an average of 7 kilograms of honey, but the rest of the hives did not yield. A special problem was that a large number of bees were swarming," said Dragašević.

The main pasture in Dragaši was meadow and some fruit, at the beginning of spring.

"On my property, I planted over 150 dogwoods, which provided abundant spring pollen pasture, and about 50 linden trees, which provided good pasture. I also sowed about 6 ares of phacelia, which mediated extremely well. I recommend all beekeepers to plant honey plants and thus significantly increase honey yields," said Dragašević.

As the main reason for the poor yields of the last few years, Dragašević cited global climate change.

"This beekeeping season in our region was delayed by more than a month. We had an extended winter until the beginning of May. A two-month rainy period followed, which was abruptly cut short by a drought with tropical temperatures. For beekeeping, you don't know what's worse - rain or temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. In no case are the bees able to get out of the hives. It is a global problem and the situation is not expected to improve."

A well-known beekeeper from Pljevlja says that the beekeepers in the south of Montenegro fared much better, but that the long drought took its toll there too, so this season was below average for them as well.

"Nevertheless, the spring pasture in the south was very generous, so bee colonies, in addition to significant amounts of honey, had the opportunity to strengthen and then use some short-term pasture in our northern regions. Such societies had more than 10 kilograms of honey per hive, said Dragašević.

Low yields, he points out, also influenced the increase in the price of honey - 12 euros per kilogram.

"It is interesting that current prices in neighboring Serbia are higher than in Montenegro. It used to be that honey in Montenegro was 10 euros, and in Serbia it was less than 5 euros per kilogram. Now in Serbia, acacia honey is 10 euros, and last year it was from 3 to 3,2 euros. Meadow honey in Serbia is now up to 15 euros per kilogram. The supply of honey is limited, small, but the purchasing power of the population has fallen drastically and this has a negative impact."

MASTER'S MASTER SATISFIED

One of the few beekeepers who is satisfied with this year's season is Radoslav Bela Zecevic, the first master's degree in beekeeping in Montenegro.

Radoslav and his family have about 250 beehives.

"Half of the apiaries were in Danilovgrad, and half in the village of Hodžići in Pljevlja. After grazing in Danilovgrad, I transferred the bees to Pljevlja. I had a great time with them in terms of yields, and the yields were not bad even in the hives in Hodžići. I halved the production of queens compared to last year, and I kept the production of royal jelly at last year's record level."

Zečević says that he also produced perga, propolis drops and realized this year's plans, so he is satisfied with the season.

However, he claims that due to climate change and low yields, beekeepers in the north of Montenegro are in trouble, especially those engaged in stationary beekeeping.