Why is Casentino's Spruce Honeydew Becoming Rare? The Delicate Balance Between Climate, Aphids, and Bees

When honey is mentioned, flower nectar is the first thing that comes to mind. However, the melata d’abete, or spruce honeydew, produced in the Casentino forests of Tuscany, is the product of a different ecological chain.

Bees do not directly target flowers here. Aphids and other small insects that feed on the sap living on the spruces consume the plant's phloem sap; they excrete excess sugary liquid. Bees collect this secretion left on branches and needle leaves and transport it back to the hive to turn it into honey. Current scientific literature defines honeydew as a sugar-rich secretion produced by sap-feeding insects, serving as an energy source for many living beings, including bees.

This method of production also explains the fragility of the product.

The harmony of flowers, bees, and weather conditions is already important in classic honey production. In spruce honeydew, healthy trees and a sufficient population of suitable aphids are also added to the chain.

When one of these links changes, the product in the jar can also change.

Once Ordinary, Now More Unpredictable

At the center of Gambero Rosso's news dated August 29, 2026, is Roberto Zuccari, who has been beekeeping in the Fronzola area of Poppi for over 40 years.

Zuccari recalls times in the early 1980s when he saw a significant flow of secretion from trees near Camaldoli at Prato della Penna. According to him, spruce honeydew was a more ordinary source of production in the forest back then compared to today; now, predicting when it will appear is much more difficult.

Zuccari's status as a genuine producer in the area is also confirmed in the agricultural business records of the Foreste Casentinesi National Park. Azienda Agricola Zuccari is listed among the businesses producing honey and other beekeeping products in Poppi-Fronzola.

The producer's personal observation alone cannot replace long-term climate research. In contrast, official sources from the region clearly state that the product is already strongly dependent on weather conditions.

National Park: Product Directly Linked to Seasonal Conditions

The Foreste Casentinesi National Park lists melata d’abete as one of the typical products of the region.

According to the official source, production is currently seen around Bagno di Romagna, Bibbiena, Chiusi della Verna, Poppi, Pratovecchio, Santa Sofia, and Stia. When pure, the product has a color that reaches almost black from dark brown, sometimes with green reflections, slow crystallization, and a resinous-balsamic character.

More importantly, the park management clearly states that the availability of the product is strongly tied to seasonal climate trends. In the high-altitude spruce forests, both the activities of bees and the ability to produce the secretion are affected by weather conditions.

In the park's pollinator studies, spruce honeydew is also identified as one of the productions that beekeepers particularly monitor, alongside chestnut honey. The migratory nature of most beekeeping in the region is also related to this variable resource structure: beekeepers move their hives to different locations based on flowering and production opportunities throughout the year.

Zuccari also states that he continues to take his hives to the forest from July to September.

However, there is no guarantee that he will obtain the same product every year.

Temperature Alone is Not an Explanation

The Gambero Rosso news discusses drought and temperature fluctuations as factors that could disrupt the spruce-aphid relationship. When trees are under stress, the properties of the sap may change; the density of aphids or the area they inhabit may vary. Bees also turn to other sources when they cannot find honeydew.

A comprehensive scientific review published in 2026 shows that honeydew production varies according to the type of aphid, the chemistry of the host plant, and environmental conditions. The same study emphasizes that temperature can affect aphid population dynamics, but the effect may vary depending on the species and conditions.

Another recent scientific assessment points out that the production of honeydew can be strongly influenced by climate and human activities.

Generalizations should be avoided here.

Warmer weather does not automatically mean "fewer aphids" or "less honeydew". The response of insects to temperature depends on the species, season, physiological condition of the tree, and rainfall conditions.

Therefore, it is more accurate to read the changes in production in Casentino through the system of tree health + aphid population + bee behavior + temperature + rainfall rather than explaining it with a single variable.

If There is No Honeydew, Bees Switch to Other Products

For bees, the problem is not the complete cessation of production.

Honey bees are opportunistic foragers. When a specific source diminishes, they can turn to other sugar sources they can find in the vicinity.

According to Zuccari, bees can change their sources within a radius of about three kilometers; if there is insufficient secretion from the spruce, they may turn to other sources such as acacia or chestnut.

The result for the beekeeper is significant.

The hive may continue to produce honey, but the identity of the product changes.

Obtaining honey that is predominantly chestnut or composed of different botanical sources while expecting spruce honeydew creates a different commercial risk than the ordinary production quantity issue.

The characteristics that create value for premium gastronomy are precisely tied to a specific geography and sensory profile, making the repeatability of the product increasingly important.

Distinctly Different in Taste from Flower Honey

The value of spruce honeydew in the niche market is not solely related to its rarity.

The National Park describes the product as having a dark, balsamic, and resinous character. Scientific literature also indicates that honeydew has a different sugar composition and a strong sensory profile compared to classic flower honeys.

In Gambero Rosso's older comparative tasting dossier, it is noted that spruce honeydews have pronounced resin and balsamic aromas, and products sourced from white spruce can exhibit notes reminiscent of pine.

These characteristics elevate the product beyond the classic breakfast honey in terms of restaurant use.

Its dark color and low perceived sweetness can create a different gastronomic tool that can be used with mature cheeses, game meats, smoked products, or certain sweet-salty dishes.

The important point for chefs is to present the product not through hard-to-prove health claims like "healthier honey," but through aroma, geography, and production method.

The Challenge is Not Just Production but Also Communicating the Product

Another point that Zuccari highlights in his nearly 40 years of experience is marketing.

According to Gambero Rosso, although a significant amount of melata was produced in Casentino in the past, a large portion of the product was sold in bulk. Zuccari and other producers later tried to cooperate to sell directly in jars.

The producer states that the product has a stronger tradition in Germany and Northern Europe due to its sensory characteristics; in Italy, however, it is more challenging to convey its value to consumers.

This situation illustrates a common problem faced by rare gastronomic products.

A scarce product does not automatically become a premium product.

If consumers do not know why the product is different, rarity may not translate into commercial value.

Restaurants, specialty stores, and hotel kitchens can be an important part of this narrative.

Instead of simply writing "honey" on the menu, explaining that the product does not come from flower nectar and that the secretion formed in the spruce forests of Casentino is collected by bees can completely change the consumer's perception of the category.

For Suppliers, Climate Risk is Now Product Risk

HORECA purchasing teams often evaluate climate change through energy, water, or carbon reporting.

However, Casentino honeydew shows another effect: the supply availability of the product itself.

A business that ties its menu to a specific seasonal or geographical product cannot assume that the same quantity will be available every year.

This becomes more pronounced, especially with wild herbs, mushrooms, specialty olive oils, single-origin coffees, vineyard products, and beekeeping products.

The purchaser needs to identify alternative producers, obtain volume confirmation on a seasonal basis, and design the menu in a way that allows for product changes when necessary.

The increasingly irregular appearance of spruce honeydew may seem like a small Italian beekeeping story, but it actually summarizes a broader supply question facing HORECA.

Stafflink's Perspective

In our view, what makes Casentino's spruce honeydew valuable is not just its rarity; it is the invisible supply chain consisting of forest, tree, insect, bee, and climate behind a jar of product.

This chain cannot be easily scaled up by increasing orders like in industrial production.

Therefore, as the product becomes more irregular, the correct commercial approach should not be merely raising prices by using the word "rarity."

Pricing that protects the producer's income, transparent communication that explains the product's origin, and a purchasing system that accepts variable supply in restaurants should be considered together.

Moreover, since there is no long-term open data showing how much and how quickly production is declining specifically in Casentino, making a definitive statement like "climate change is destroying this honey" is currently too strong.

In contrast, official park sources and scientific literature are clear at one point:

The formation of this product is not independent of weather conditions.

Therefore, spruce honeydew is a strong example showing that climate risk in gastronomy is not an abstract future discussion; it is a current business issue reflected through product availability, pricing, and menu continuity.