In mid-June, 222 hives left our bee farm in Kumamoto Prefecture, where our headquarters is located, for Hokkaido.
The journey from Kumamoto to Hokkaido is about 2,400 km, and takes two full days by road and ferry in a large truck.
The loading of the honey onto the truck began at 3 a.m., when the bees were already asleep, and took all the beekeeping club members about two hours to complete.
To make the journey as comfortable as possible for the bees, the temperature inside the truck is set to 15 degrees.
During the journey, we asked the driver to ventilate the vehicle regularly to ensure that the air was as fresh as possible.
Once we arrive, we will set up the hives at the local apiary.
Bee farms, surrounded by electric fences to protect them from damage by wild animals, are a sight unique to Akita Prefecture and Hokkaido.
After completing the installation, the beekeeping club members opened the hive entrance and could see the bees flying away happily.
We hope they get some rest in a cool climate in preparation for the upcoming summer honey harvest!
