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.
High swarming season for bees
The development of bee colonies in Saxony has only gone in one direction in recent years: upwards. While there were still around 30,500 in 2008, their number has more than doubled since then and reached a peak of 69,200 in 2023.
Saxony's beekeepers currently have their hands full. Fruit trees, dandelions, rapeseed and chestnuts have attracted bees in abundance in recent weeks, which have been busy pouring honey into their hives. It is also swarming season: the bee colonies are raising young queens and the old queen swarms off with part of the colony. They then have to be caught by beekeepers. Beekeepers also take advantage of this natural reproduction to build up new colonies via so-called offshoots.
World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20. This draws attention to the importance of bees. By pollinating flowers, they play an outstanding role in the production of many foods.
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