When Industrial Activity and Biodiversity Work Hand in Hand

In Murlin, the daily initiatives undertaken by the Charlois Group aim to protect and promote biodiversity. These efforts include the creation of numerous flower-filled areas and a vegetable garden for the restaurant, the avoidance of phytosanitary products, the installation of beehives, and the establishment of a Land Art walk. All these actions actively contribute to the preservation of the fauna and flora in this small, forested Nivernais village, located near several Natural Areas of Ecological, Faunistic, and Floristic Interest (ZNIEFF) of types 1 and 2.

The daily presence of animals, some of which are endangered, is a testament to the quality of the natural environment in Murlin, which is conducive to biodiversity. This is evidenced, for example, by the bee swarms found near the stave parks in recent days and the bird’s nest built within the monumental artwork Sève.

Sébastien Guillerand, a beekeeper based in Poiseux who manages the beehives of Murlin, intervened twice on May 22 to recover natural swarms. The formation of a bee swarm occurs following the division of a colony, which happens during swarm fever. The recent swarming was caused by an abundance of rapeseed pollen, leading to an excess of honey production and a rapid increase in the hive’s population. Swarm fever is often associated with rapeseed nectar flow.
As the colony becomes too small to accommodate all the bees, scout bees set out to find a new hive and then send a signal to indicate its location. If this signal is delayed, the excess bees leave the hive and settle temporarily while waiting for the signal. When the new swarm is accessible, a beekeeper can retrieve it for re-hiving. Swarming can also occur due to the presence of two queens in the colony. In such cases, the older queen must leave the colony to establish a new one.