Honeybees Survived Under Volcano Ash for Months During Canary Islands Eruption That Destroyed Everything in its Path

The popular Spanish tourist destination of La Palma on the Canary Islands was hit by a series of seismic events on 13 September, linked to the active Cumbre Vieja volcanic range. The message was clear: the 6,394 feet tall giant was ready to wake up again after 50 years of slumber.

The eruption began on 19 September and lasted for 85 days, the longest eruption of a volcano on La Palma that we know of. In the devastation that followed, many buildings were destroyed and the lava flow covered more than 1000 hectares. Surprisingly, an unlikely group of survivors emerged from the ashes: honeybees.

Over 3000 buildings were destroyed in the eruption, and the towns of Todoque and Los Campitos were totally annihilated by the pulsating fountains of lava. The widest point of the flow was 2.3 miles wide, and 6.2 miles long. It has also reached the sea and formed a new peninsula in the Atlantic-ocean. According to reports, the eruption has made the evacuation of approximately 7,000 people necessary.

The damage caused by the slow-moving lava flows and the ash that covered the area was enormous, amounting to around €843 million.

However, the eruption also brought about the interesting, rather delightful story of a local beekeeper who was forced to flee the region, leaving behind his six bee hives. Once the dust had settled around the volcano, he was able to return to his home, but the landscape had drastically changed – the whole area was covered with a deep blanket of volcanic ash. Three of his hives were only partially visible and the other three were buried under the ash.

To his surprise, when he freed the hives from under the ash with the help of the local police, the Military Emergency Unit, and the Civil Guard, he found that inside the boxes his bees were thriving, almost as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately though, one out of the six hives didn’t survive the almost 2 months long period. According to Elías González, president of the Agrupación de Defensa Sanitaria Apicultores de La Palma, “not because of the volcano, but because they were already weak before the eruption.”

The bees that did survive the devastation were lucky because the ash that covered their hives was lighter and less thick, which allowed some air to pass through. Their other great good fortune was that the owner hadn’t yet removed the honey crop from the summer, so the bees had enough food from the honey stores left inside the hives.

Another part of the bees’ survival, which has more to do with their resilience, rather than their luck, is how they sealed themselves up with propolis. Also known as bee glue, propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees produce from parts of plants, buds, and exudates. Bees mostly use it as thermal insulation and to cover any unwanted cracks or holes against rainwater. In this case, though, it protected the hives from the extreme heat and toxic gases released by the volcano. They only left a small opening, so that one day, when it would be safe, they could get out.

The story of the five hives is truly amazing. La Palma is home to millions of honeybees, who are irreplaceable members of the local ecosystem, as well as key players in the local economy, since the island is famous for its award-winning honey that is sold all around the region.

Considering that the tiny creatures have managed to stay alive amidst the massive destruction caused by the volcanic eruption, it is no wonder that they have managed to survive for hundreds of millions of years, proving their resilience from time to time again.

Sources: 1, 2, 3