Beehives on our site

Installing and managing beehives so honey bees can take advantage of the flowers around our factory.

At Labenne, the setting around the factory is decidedly floral. Of course, both nature and the staff have given it their all: the facilities are surrounded by a nature preserve of astounding biodiversity and the fallow land has been planted painstakingly with flowers by the plant's employees (they even created a composting system).

A haven for honey bees? Absolutely! But first they need access to the location to enjoy it. Hence the idea to build hives at the plant: a prime location at the gateway to this marvelous pantry.

Because this endeavor is also a matter of patience and learning, the team began with one hive. When it was clear that the move-in was a success for our friends the bees, who already yielded their first honey harvest in just a few months, it did not take long to ask, why stop there?

New beehives were added to the first crop and, along with them, a new batch of employees to become novice beekeepers.

Managing a beehive is not to be taken lightly. Fortunately, Sylvie, a devoted beekeeper, shares her know-how and time with the project team. She regularly visits the site's hives to ensure that everything is going smoothly and to offer advice.

The connection to the community does not stop there, for all visitors to the site can have a look at the beehives. Every person who discovers the project has the potential to pollinate the idea!

It is easy for anyone who has heard about the challenges facing bees today to feel helpless. How can they do something, even on a small scale, to help these endangered creatures? By making it easier for them to find sustenance. That is one of the easiest steps to take if you cannot have hives at your home. Bees prefer certain flowers, the ones that produce abundant nectar: dandelions, oregano, lavender, poppies, etc.