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Bees in danger: Berlin beekeepers fight against the Varroa mite!
Hagen Schütt is a Berlin beekeeper who breeds Varroa-resistant bees and addresses the challenges of honey production.
Bees in danger: Berlin beekeepers fight against the Varroa mite!
In the colorful world of beekeeping, Hagen Schütt in Berlin fights against the Varroa mite, a feared parasite that can seriously endanger beehives. Together with his wife Steffi and his friend Andreas, the trained roofer sells high-quality honey and other products from his small beekeeping under the brand name “Beutenliebe”. But the challenges are great, because the Varroa mite makes life difficult for beekeepers, as berlin-live.de reports.
Hagen Schütt must regularly check the drone frame of his beehives and take the necessary measures to control the mite population. After harvesting, formic acid or oxalic evaporation is often used to protect the bees. Brazen wasp attacks represent another risk that Schütt recently experienced: an entire colony of bees fell victim to such an attack, a lesson learned from experience that he is now taking to heart by paying even closer attention to the signs of his bees.
The importance of Varroa resistance
In order to strengthen the bee population and make beekeeping future-proof, it is important that beekeepers actively engage in the development of Varroa-resistant bee colonies. The goal is to gradually breed bees that do not require extensive treatment against the Varroa mite. Progress in research is showing initial success, as breeders now have bee colonies that have a high level of Varroa resistance without losing other important characteristics such as gentleness, as explained in [bienenjournal.de](https://www.bienenjournal.de/imkerpraxis/fachbericht/varroa Resistant-bienenvoelker-fuer-alle/).
- Optionen zur Mitwirkung:
- Identifikation von Carnica- und Buckfast-Völkern mit varroasensitiver Hygiene
- Kauf von VSH-Königinnen bei anerkannten Züchtern
- Umlarven von VSH-Zuchtköniginnen
- Mitarbeit in VSH-Zuchtgruppen oder Züchterverbänden
A European project with vision
And that's not all: a Europe-wide project has the ambitious goal of establishing a healthy population of Varroa-resistant bees by 2033. Comprehensive cooperation between beekeeping associations in Germany, Austria and Luxembourg shows that this is feasible. The idea is to spread the genetic characteristics of Varroa-resistant bees in order to sustainably improve the bee population, according to the Spandau Beekeeping Association on its website. In May 2022, associations met in Neuenstein-Aua to develop common strategies, and a first working conference took place in March 2023, at which the participants worked on concepts for treatment-free beekeeping.
These developments also benefit Schütt, as the beekeeping scene in Germany is lively and committed. If you have unwanted swarms, he recommends contacting the local beekeeping association instead of an exterminator. Through shared knowledge and support, the challenges of beekeeping can be better mastered.
The topic of bees and beekeeping remains exciting, and Hagen Schütt is a good example of how passion can triumph against adversity. And who knows, perhaps the first Varroa-resistant bee colonies will soon be able to do their work in the gardens of Cologne, while the beekeepers assert themselves against the Varroa mite.