Surroundings or setting in which a fictional character or entity exists. - Mixed spring harvest worries Imke due to unpredictable weather conditions.
Over the past couple of weeks, the weather has caused issues for beekeepers in Rhineland-Palatinate. According to Thomas Hock, the chairman of the Rhineland-Palatinate Beekeepers Association, "The weather we've had for the last four weeks has caused the bees to use up almost all of the honey you left them for spring." As a result, the beekeepers had to give the colonies food.
Hock explains, "The bees can't fly in the rain, or when it's heavily overcast, since they rely on the sun to navigate." Therefore, the bees couldn't go out and collect nectar. This, combined with an early blossoming of many plants, has put a strain on the bee colonies. Although linden blossoms are often seen at the end of June or beginning of July, these flowers are already blooming.
"We can only collect the excess amount left, while the bees must fend for themselves," Hock says. However, their food supply is almost depleted. To add to the problem, the temperatures aren't suitable for a substantial nectar harvest. Hock states, "We need more warmth to collect a good amount of honey. The chances of a successful harvest, especially in the southwest, look bleak."
He notes that in the spring around Pentecost, the honey harvest was rather weak. Last winter, numerous bee colonies in Rhineland-Palatinate struggled and didn't survive. Many beekeepers lost their colonies. Hock explains, "The mild winter might've been the culprit. As the temperatures were not cold enough, the bees didn't hibernate properly and went on consuming the food." Even though beekeepers can replace lost colonies by dividing the bee colonies, the Rhineland-Palatinate Beekeepers Association has approximately 7,000 members.
