Beekeeping harvest in Bozok Plateau started a month early

In Bozok Plateau, Yozgat, honey harvesting began about a month early due to higher-than-average temperatures. The harvest, which was expected to start in mid-August, began earlier because of drought and elevated temperatures.

Beekeepers, who spend most of the year with their bees on Bozok Plateau, are undeterred by the ongoing heat. They use smoke-producing bellows to move the bees away from the hives, wearing masks and special clothing to handle the honeycombs. The harvested honeycombs are processed through honey extractors, and the extracted honey is packaged into tins and bottles for sale to nearby regions.

Fatih Mermertaş, a 36-year-old beekeeper who started with 4 hives as a hobby in Taşpınar village of Sorgun district, now manages 20 hives. He said, “I have been beekeeping for 5 years. I started with 4 hives as a hobby, and as I grew to love it, I expanded my hives. Although there have been occasional losses in the winter, we have continued to increase our bee population and honey production. We produce organic honey on a 15-decare fruit orchard. We spend most of our time with the bees here. Currently, we have 20 hives and collected 300-400 kilograms of honey in the first extraction, with more to come.”

Mermertaş also explained the impact of the dry climate on the early start of the honey harvest, saying, “Due to the dry climate, we started honey extraction 20-25 days earlier than usual. We have completed the first extraction and will do the second extraction 20 days later, after the brood frames are filled. Afterward, we will perform the winter maintenance for the bees. Despite irrigation efforts, the extreme drought forced us to start extraction early. Lack of snowfall in winter also poses a problem; bees come out when it’s warm, and sudden weather changes can lead to their deaths.”