Bee boom in the district: beekeeping courses in demand - expert explains how everyone can protect the insect

Created: 05/20/2022, 08:00

By: Magdalena Hoecherl

Lord of the bees: Andreas Stuber has been a beekeeper for 20 years and currently has twelve colonies.

"I've never regretted it, even if it's a lot of work," says the 58-year-old.

© Lehmann

May 20th is World Bee Day.

Beekeeper Andreas Stuber explains why this day of remembrance makes sense and how the bee population in the Freising district is doing.

Freising/Thonhausen

– They are no more than 15 millimeters in size, but should they become extinct, it would have fatal consequences for mankind.

But climate change, land sealing and pesticides are threatening the beneficial insects.

Therefore, the United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed May 20th as World Bee Day to focus on its importance.

Andreas Stuber (58), chairman of the Freising beekeepers' association, explains why the little animals are so important, how their well-being is in the district and what simple means everyone can use to help protect them.

Mr. Stuber, does the bee really need its own day of remembrance?

In my opinion, it's good that this day exists - just to remind people of the bee again.

It is very important for mankind, as it is the third most important livestock in the world after cattle and pigs.

If it weren't for the bees, we would not only have no honey, but also far fewer fruits and vegetables.

Bees pollinate most of our crops.

So yes, the bees deserve this day.

How are the bees doing in the Freising district?

We can't complain at the moment.

Fortunately, bee deaths are not an issue for us at all, that's very good.

We are only concerned with the Varroa mite, although this only becomes problematic in autumn and winter.

This parasite reproduces in the bee cell and then infects the bee brood.

In order to keep the infestation as low as possible, however, we can already take measures.

On the one hand, the mite infests drone brood more, i.e. male bees, because their breeding season lasts longer and the mite can therefore settle in better.

We therefore remove these honeycombs from time to time so that fewer mites can spread.

On the other hand, brood combs can be removed from the bee colony and offshoots can be made.

And in July, formic acid is used to render the mites harmless.

However, this only works

It is currently dry.

How does this weather condition affect the animals?

Rapeseed is in full bloom at the moment.

It's really a blessing for us.

But of course, plants need a certain level of moisture to be able to produce enough nectar.

Regular rainfall is therefore very important.

Aside from rapeseed, where else do the bees get their nectar from?

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It's actually not that easy.

There are still fruit trees like cherries or apples, but when they're gone there's not much left.

There used to be a lot of clover, but now the meadows are often mowed extremely early so that the grass still has as much protein as possible for animal feed.

Finding a balance is difficult.

But in comparison, our bees are doing really well: In the Bavarian Forest, for example, beekeepers have not been able to harvest any honey for the past two years.

On the contrary: the bees had to be fed to survive.

What has to change in order to be able to offer the bees enough food in the future?

The most important thing is to offer the bees or insects enough food in general.

All property owners can contribute to this, not just farmers, but also garden and landscape planners.

This knowledge must be imparted during training or studies in order to be able to put it into practice accordingly.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

Do you feel that society is already becoming more bee-friendly?

I think that the topic has been more present since the 2019 referendum at the latest.

In recent years, more and more people have become interested in beekeeping.

The interest in our beginner courses is enormous, it's a real boom.

Of course, some try it out and then realize that beekeeping is not for them.

But many stick with it.

How can each individual do something good for the bees - without becoming a beekeeper themselves?

If you have a garden, you should plant it in a way that is bee-friendly and not turn it into a gravel desert.

There are so many suitable flowers, perennials, shrubs and trees for every size.

Bee-friendly herbs such as lemon balm or thyme can even be accommodated on a small balcony.

My motto: If everyone does a little something, a lot will come of it in the end.

Beekeepers made easy: Regular beginner courses

The Freising Beekeepers' Association regularly offers beekeeping courses for beginners.

Every first Friday of the month there are also meetings (in the summer months at the teaching apiary at Ignaz-Günther-Straße 5), where bee wardens talk about current topics.

The next appointment on June 3rd is about the honey, on July 1st about the Varroa treatment.

Information also online at imkerverein-freising.de.

You can contact Andreas Stuber by sending

an email to

By the way: The Freising beekeeping association with around 90 members is not the only one in the cathedral city.

There are also the Neustift and Eichenfeld-Lerchenfeld beekeeping associations here.

You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.