For years, beekeeping boomed in Saxony, but recently the number of bee colonies has declined. In 2024, 68,424 colonies were registered - 776 fewer than in the previous year, according to the new annual report from the Animal Disease Fund. In contrast, the number of beekeepers increased by 115 to 9,592.
The figures show that beekeeping is still a popular hobby, said the chairman of the Saxon Beekeepers' Association, Michael Hardt, to the German Press Agency. There are still many people interested in getting into beekeeping - but often only with a few colonies. In addition, there are always high colony losses in winter - mainly as a result of a high mite load. "Some beekeepers decide to continue on a smaller scale after such a cutback."
And there is another aspect that could play a role, according to Hardt. From this year, medicines to treat bee colonies against the Varroa mite will no longer be subsidized. Some beekeepers could therefore report fewer colonies in order to reduce their contribution to the animal disease fund, explained the expert.
