President's beekeeper: Rose Garden honey has a unique taste
Hannes Praks, the beekeeper at the Presidential Palace garden, said on the morning show "Terevisioon" that the president's bees made it through the winter so well that one colony actually became two. The honey from the bees in the Kadriorg Palace garden contains the highest proportion of rose-family plants for a truly unique flavor.
"The bees in the Presidential Palace garden came through the winter very well. So well, in fact, that not only did all of them survive, but some even split and one colony became two," said Kadriorg beekeeper Hannes Praks. "When space runs out, it's time to move somewhere else — and that goes for bees, too. The bees swarmed. I managed to catch one colony, but the gardener in the neighboring park said another went off in search of a new home."
Samples were taken from the honey produced by the bees in the Presidential Palace garden and analyzed in detail. It turned out that the honey contains a particularly high proportion — 38 percent — of rose-family plants. "Rosaceae, or rose-family plants, are indeed the most abundant in the Kadriorg Palace park," Praks explained. "We initially thought linden would be dominant, since it's an excellent nectar plant and produces a powerful yield when it blooms. But according to the analysis, linden ranked only fourth, with 8 percent."
Bees are most active within a foraging radius of two and a half kilometers, but they can collect nectar from as far as five kilometers away. "If there's nothing nearby, they'll go farther," said Praks. "On rainy days, bees take a break — but they still have housekeeping to do in the hive."
Beekeepers use smoke around hives because bees have a highly developed sense of smell. "They can instantly detect strangers near the hive by scent. When we release smoke, the bees initiate an evacuation inside the hive and focus on saving their treasure — the honey — rather than on attacking," Praks explained.
Praks opened one of the hives and noted that about one-fifth of the honeycomb frame was still empty. "But in a week's time, this could be ready to harvest. The honey right now has a pre-Midsummer flavor. After Midsummer, the taste shifts as new plants start blooming. At the moment, it doesn't yet have that distinctly rose garden note," Praks said. "This honey develops a specific accent that I've only ever tasted in honey from the president's rose garden."
According to Praks, a single hive could yield 50 to 70 kilograms of honey, given a good summer and a diligent beekeeper.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Annika Remmel
