Thousands of bees survived 50 days buried under the ashes of the La Palma volcano

In Tenerife, Spain. Thousands of bees survived after spending 50 days in hives buried under a blanket of ash from the La Palma volcano just about 600 meters away from the eruptive center, in the same area of ​​Cabeza de Vaca, where on September 19 the Earth. The insects were found and rescued on November 13.

The president of the Sanitary Defense Group (ADS) La Palma beekeepers Elías González, narrated that the rescue for the insects took place last Saturday and that there were five of the six hives in that area that were intact, all belonging to the same beekeeper.

According to the ADS president, the bees in the sixth hive died, perhaps “not because of the volcano, but because they were already weak.”

Three of the six hives were partially visible, which helped in the location of the other three that were buried under the ash. The agents who participated in the rescue had to dig to locate and rescue them, but not before taking the occasional bite.

Between 30,000 and 40,000 bees can live in each hive in spring. Meanwhile, when there are fewer flowers, from whose pollen they feed, the number is reduced to between 20,000 and 25,000.

Elías González believes that if the bees survived for so long it is because what falls in that area so close to the mouth of the volcano, rather than fine ash, are small fragments of lava or lapilli, which due to their thickness allow air to pass through.

Finally, another factor that contributed to the subsistence of these insects was that the owner of the hives did not harvest the summer honey crop, so they “had food reserves”. “Even so, they are resentful, but alive,” González said.

Source-larepublica.pe