Dearth of flowering plants near Deville, Louisiana
9/6/2023 1:12:01 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Business & Industry
Fire
Plants & Wildlife
Relief, Response & Restrictions
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Louisiana
Rapides Parish, LA
Deville, LA
Start Date: 8/30/2023
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A late March freeze killed many honey bee populations in Louisiana and also the plants for pollination and honey production. Drought has continued to present challenges for honey bees as plants were not growing or blooming. Bee farmers were even hauling water to some locations that have never gone dry before this.
The heat, absence of water and scarcity of pollinating plants has dropped honey production on a Deville honey farm by 65%, but overhead costs for honey production, like water, feed supplements and fuel, have increased. The fire risk and concern about the danger has kept them from mowing, driving trucks onto lots or smoking out the bees. The beekeeper will send more hives to California to offset the honey losses, but he’d prefer not to.
KALB-TV (Alexandria, La.), Aug 30, 2023
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