Beekeepers feel the sting as climate change hits North Macedonia

Magda Miloseska used to get a real buzz of excitement when she tended to her bees. Now, things are different. 

"These days, we have to fight the climate conditions," says Miloseska. "Then there are the diseases that have entered our environment." 

Miloseska has been producing honey in North Macedonia for more than 20 years. She spends her weekends in Stence, a village in the west of the country. There's plenty to like about Stence - it's surrounded by mountains, offers magnificent views and basks in sunshine during the summer. 

But these days, locals are getting a little hot under the collar. Temperatures climbed above 30 degrees Celsius in June - that's three degrees higher than the average for this time of year.   

"Older beekeepers say they used to get 30 to 50 kilograms of honey from one beehive," says Miloseska. "In this period, with these climate conditions, that has decreased substantially."

Consumers are also feeling the heat as supplies decrease. Honey prices in North Macedonia are more than 50 percent higher than what they were three years ago. 

Time for action

Vladimir Petroski has watched the industry change before his eyes. Petroksi owns 120 beehives and has cared for them over the last 13 years. He says climate change brought parasites and viruses that harm his bees. 

"Beekeepers need to educate themselves," says Petroski. "They must adapt according to the conditions and the micro-climate where they work."

‌Some beekeepers are trying to find solutions. They've worked together in regional associations, promoting methods to limit the effects of hotter weather. Environmental groups say the government should support those efforts, but has taken very little action.  

"The state institutions still need to share information with each other," says Frosina Pandurska Dramikjanin of the Macedonian Ecological Society. "So it is harder to issue measures and recommendations." 

When honey leaves a bitter taste...

The problem is bigger than North Macedonia. The United Nations Environmental Program says 100 crop species provide roughly 90 percent of the world's food. Bees pollinate more than 70 of those species. Fewer bees could mean fewer crops. And that could spell more trouble for consumers still feeling the sting of the cost-of-living crisis.  

Magda Miloseska has no plans to stop caring for her hives. She will continue to don her protective suit and do what she does best - making delicious honey. It's a constant in her life, but it's also a reminder that things are changing - not just for the bees, but the planet as well. 

"It used to be a treat," says Miloseska. "Not anymore."

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