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Bees in Berlin: This is how beekeepers fight against the dangerous Varroa mite!
Hagen Schütt from Berlin fights the Varroa mite with bees. It produces honey and promotes varroa-resistant colonies.
Bees in Berlin: This is how beekeepers fight against the dangerous Varroa mite!
The world of beekeeping has changed dramatically in recent years, and the challenges posed by parasites such as the notorious Varroa mite are driving many hobby beekeepers to despair. Hagen Schütt, a Berlin beekeeper who sells honey and various products from his hive under the “Beutenliebe” brand, knows the problems all too well. Together with his wife Steffi and his friend Andreas, he dedicates himself to this demanding job in the heart of Berlin. According to Berlin Live, the Varroa mite is a key enemy of bees that not only infects the honeycomb, but can endanger entire colonies.
To counteract this threat, beekeepers like Schütt must be constantly active. Regular inspections of drone frames are a must, and post-harvest chemical treatments such as formic acid or oxalic evaporation are often used to keep fungus gnats at bay. Another risk is the invasion of wasps, which Schütt experienced painfully last year when a colony of his bees was attacked. Since then, he has learned to pay even better attention to the signs of his bees - an unmistakable sign of an experienced beekeeper.
Challenges and solutions in the beekeeping trade
But there is hope: Research on varroa-resistant bee colonies is progressing, according to [Bienenjournal](https://www.bienenjournal.de/imkerpraxis/fachberichten/varroa Resistant-bienenvoelker-fuer-alle/). The aim is to develop these colonies without any chemical treatment, which is the desired solution for many beekeepers. Some breeders have already achieved high levels of Varroa resistance through targeted breeding without losing other characteristics such as gentleness. In Germany, several bee breeds have already been identified that are characterized by Varroa-sensitive hygiene (VSH).
Beekeepers can actively contribute to treatment-free beekeeping by purchasing VSH queens or establishing regionally adapted breeding methods themselves. This could not only promote populations, but also increase the genetic diversity of bees. One way to get involved in these breeding projects is to work in breeding groups or with other beekeepers in clubs. This way you stay active not only in the bee business, but also in the community.
The importance of bees in a global context
A look at the numbers underlines the importance of bees for our world: There will be around 102.1 million bee colonies worldwide in 2023, which means an increase of 47% since 1990. In Europe the number of bee colonies rose from 22.5 million to around 25.4 million. These beloved pollinators are crucial not only to honey production, which accounted for around 1.9 million tonnes worldwide this year, but also to agriculture as a whole. Without bees, the yield of many types of fruit and vegetables would be at risk, which illustrates the value of these small animals for all of us, as the Destatis highlights.
It should not be forgotten that despite all these challenges and excitement, the joy of beekeeping is not lost. The opportunity to nurture and care for your own bee colonies and the reward in the form of sweet honey are the main motivation for many beekeepers. After all, it's fun to make something from scratch and experience nature in all its facets up close. Beekeepers like Schütt show how much passion goes into this tried and tested tradition - and that's what makes beekeeping so special.