They fly and fly and fly.....
Anyone passing by beehives in these weeks of October will notice that they are still buzzing despite the late time of year. The warm weather and the associated flower supply motivate the bees to continue their search for nectar.
In many regions, this is more successful than in the past. Many farmers set up flowering areas on fallow land, some of which are subsidized by the state. Certainly a subsidy against which there is nothing to object. In addition, there are also many areas with so-called "green manure". The plants spread here (e.g. also rape) bloom unusually frequently and for a long time this fall. So the trip is worthwhile for the busy animals. In addition, at this time of year, no responsible beekeeper will think of taking honey from the hives. The nectar collected now is transformed into honey and serves the bees as valuable food in the upcoming winter.
Nevertheless, it is already possible to take stock of the 2018 bee year. The year began with a shock for many beekeepers, some of whom lost up to 50% of their colonies in the winter of 2017/2018. We have already reported on the reasons, which are still insufficiently researched, and will continue to do so.
It is therefore all the more gratifying that the number of beekeepers in Germany has been rising steadily again for a few years. Last year, around 130,000 beekeepers kept bees. This year, this figure is likely to be slightly exceeded. However, the number of bee colonies per beekeeper continues to decline. While in 1961 still approx. 2 million bee colonies were held in Germany, this number has halved until 2016 (source D.I.B.). This development will continue in 2018.
In other words, the bee population in Germany has halved over the past five decades (source FAO, D.I.B.). In addition, there is an equally dramatic decline in wild bees. Of which about 500 species are known. About 50% of these populations are threatened with extinction. Despite these facts the topic is still minimized in the media and by lobby associations. In some cases it is even completely misrepresented.
To raise awareness of the issue, a World Bee Day was held for the first time on May 20, 2018, which generated positive reverberations in the press. 80% of our domestic crops and wild plants depend on pollination by honey bees and wild bees. This generates an economic benefit of over 2 billion euros in Germany. The global benefit is over 70 billion US dollars.
This result exceeds the benefit generated by honey "production" many times over. From the beekeepers' point of view, the so-called honey harvest in Germany in 2018 was satisfactory and will slightly exceed the value from 2017. There were record yields in the spring, but these were compensated for in the dry summer months.
What must be done to continue to preserve the livelihood of the bees and thus also of us? The concordiaNATURA foundation has the following answers:
More public funding must be made available for bee health research. The research must take place without taboos, without misunderstood consideration of interest groups from the agricultural and pharmaceutical industry. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to draw the right conclusions from this! Sometimes these steps will hurt.
The application of pesticides must be severely restricted. This is especially true of all so-called pesticides and exterminators (Roundup) that contain neonicotenoids. Again, it is not just a matter of pointing the finger at the agricultural industry. No garden owner should apply even the smallest amounts of these substances.
The expansion of "flowering landscapes" must be further promoted. Everyone can help with this. Also a million more balcony boxes with blooming "bee pastures" help. It is not for nothing that beekeepers in urban areas report particularly high honey yields, as they are usually much more colorful here than in fields and meadows.
Beekeepers can also help by foregoing at least part of the honey harvest and leaving the honey for the bees to store for the winter. The concordiaNATURA foundation is conducting its own research in this area. However, common sense already tells us that it cannot be good to replace the valuable honey with toxic industrial sugar as food for the bees for the winter. Sugar harms not only humans.
As a final point, we cite the almost complete lack of research to date in the area of the effects of electrosmog, electromagnetism and microwaves on bee health. The concordiaNATURA foundation will strive for a project in this area as well.
We are very pleased that a look at the 2018 bee year also reveals many positive approaches. More colorful, blooming diversity in our landscapes, the World Bee Day and the increasing number of beekeepers, including many young people, who consider the ecological aspect much more important than a few kilograms of honey, give us strength and courage to continue fighting for the preservation of our bees. Please help us all to keep this engine going. For example, by treating yourself to a wonderful, meaningful hobby.
Greetings to all of you,
Klaus Heinzel
- Founder -
Comments