The bees of Notre-Dame survived the fire

Notre-Dame was not only a tourist attraction in Paris, it was also the place where the baskets of 200,000 bees were hanging. Many people feared that the animals, the fire did not survive, but there was liberation news. ‘The bees are in life.”

‘The bees are in life. Until 11: 00 today I had no news, ” says beekeeper Nicolas Géant, which is about the bijenkorfen of the Notre-Dame takes on the adjoining sacristy. ‘At first I thought that the three hives in flames were gone, I had no news. But then I could be on satellite images to see that this was not the case and the spokesman for the cathedral confirmed that the bees in and uitvlogen.’

Géant got messages and calls from around the world of people who wondered whether or not the bees in the fire were all that remained. “It was unexpected. I, of course, received calls from Europe but also from South-Africa, Japan, the United States and South America.”

In the event of a fire, at the first sign of smoke, to stop the bees are filled with honey and protect their queen. ‘This species (the honey bee) let her basket, not behind. She has no lungs, but the CO2 brings her in sleep, ” explains Géant, which are bees ‘next week’ hopes to see.

Each hive produces an average of 25 pounds of honey per year, which is the staff of the Notre-Dame is sold. The cathedral is home to the insects since 2013.