May we introduce? ...

... Vincent Egmann. He is not only an H2O veteran with his 21 years as Sales Area Manager France East, he also has a special hobby: he is a beekeeper. Why are we telling you this? It's the bee's birthday! Or to put it another way: 20 May is World Bee Day! Did you know, dear readers, that besides the well-known honey bee, there are about 30,000 species of wild bees? And that they are all essential for pollinating a large part of our plant food?

Reason enough to celebrate the bees today. Or Vincent?

Yes! I was born and raised in the countryside. On the family farm, bees were part of the agricultural production. After my father gave up farming, I wanted to continue this activity to better understand this fascinating world of bees. I read many books, I took courses. With the arrival of certain new parasites, especially varroa mites, beekeeping has become a bit more difficult and helping to save the bees is a special attraction.

Have you been stung yet?

Oh yes! At first I was too restless and too impatient with my hives! And I arrived at the customers with thick swollen ears! (laughs)

Now it's like an immunity. I no longer protect myself systematically. We beekeepers also get to know the character of our swarms over time. We know how they react to certain weather conditions, for example - that's a good way to prevent stings. But there is a small "calming" sting almost every time!

How many bees do you have and what do you do with them in winter?

I have about fifteen hives, ten of them are productive, the others are young swarms or used for rearing queens.

In winter they stay outside in the cold! They keep warm in the cluster. When the queen stops laying eggs in December, the temperature in the hive drops.

I have already tasted your honey - what is your secret, why does it taste so incredibly delicious?

Yes, it tastes good, but it's the bees that do it. I let nature do its best by intervening just enough. I make sure my hives are in beautiful, flowering natural meadows in spring, then under the blossom of acacias, later under the lime trees.

H2O planted many bee-friendly perennials last year. A snack garden has also been added this year - plenty of food for the bees, right? When are you going to bring some bees here and make some real H2O honey?

I'm delighted to see all this floral diversity planted around our site. All this biodiversity is very good for the bees, of course, but also for the whole group of insects and solitary bees and butterflies.

I am already preparing the installation of beehives: I have already bred young queens this early spring, which will then move to H2O with the young hive soon!

Beekeeping is a very solitary hobby, at least if you don't count the bees as company. Is your job in the field, as a direct contact for customers in half of France, the sociable balance?

Working on beehives does indeed clear the head from my turbulent, sociable, and talkative work in the field. But with the bees you don't feel alone, because with every intervention you must feel their mood of the day and their needs. If anything, my bees and my customers have something in common: you have to be able to listen to them both!

Thank you Vincent for your insight into the world of bees. We are already looking forward to the first H2O honey and wish you continued joy and passion for these small, buzzing and so important animals!