In early May, after the harvesting of milk vetch honey had finished, mandarin orange honey harvesting began in various parts of Kumamoto Prefecture.

In the tangerine orchard, where you can feel the refreshing early summer breeze, honeybees are flying around energetically.

The mandarin orange trees bloom with small white flowers and a soft citrus scent.

Bees from nearby hives have come to suck nectar from the flowers, and you can hear their lively buzzing here and there. This year, due to the weather and rain and wind, the flowering period was shorter overall, but the hives filled with honey were heavy.

The bees swarm out of the hive entrance and fly around, blocking the view.

The daytime temperature on this day was over 20 degrees.

A beekeeping club member checks the honey content. With years of beekeeping experience, it seems that you can get a rough idea of the honey content of the entire apiary by the weight of the frames.

When the honey in the comb becomes full, the bees instinctively close the lid. When we removed the lid, an abundance of tangerine nectar overflowed.

The sight of freshly harvested honey sparkling in the light inside the hive is always a joy to see.

Orange honey is characterized by its fruity sweetness and refreshing aroma. Look forward to this year's taste!

(The beekeeping club members are photographed. Their shy smiles are lovely again!)