Beekeeping as a family hobby: Keeping bees in the Vulkaneifel!

Beekeeping as a family hobby: Keeping bees in the Vulkaneifel!

Interest in beekeeping is flourishing in the Vulkaneifel - a hobby that not only preserves the spirit, but also nature. There was a real boom in beekeeping courses during the Corona pandemic, but even now interest remains unbroken. Tagesschau reports on families who have dedicated themselves to beekeeping. The Hansmair family from Walsdorf is particularly worth mentioning here: Aaron Hansmair is the fourth generation to keep bees in the family business. After the loss of his grandfather's bee colonies, which had to stop due to health problems, the family has now taken in new bee colonies.

But what attracts people to beekeeping? The spectrum ranges from self-sufficiency to nature and environmental protection to a close connection to nature. Anja and Sascha Heltemes from Prüm would like to keep a beehive in their garden. Her son Arvid is one of the youngest participants in the course and is already looking forward to his first colony of his own. Lukas Viert, who already has three years of experience, is attending the beginners' courses at the Prümer Land beekeeping association in order to deepen his knowledge.

A variety of courses and support

The Prümer Land beekeeping association, led by Torsten Lengert, trains around 20 young beekeepers every year. The courses, which cost between 50 and 100 euros, offer not only theoretical knowledge but also practical help. “We want to give the participants a good foundation and will also be available to answer questions afterwards,” says Lengert. After the course, around 25% of the course participants decide to remain beekeepers permanently, but they often only stop for health reasons.

In total, there are around 1,000 registered beekeepers in the Trier region who look after around 7,800 bee colonies. This marks a 10% decline since 2021, reflecting the age of beekeepers, career changes and the effort involved in keeping bees. The beekeeping association actively promotes a bee-friendly environment, because the honey bee is considered man's third most important livestock animal and plays a crucial role in the pollination of native plants. Eifelbienenzucht

The importance of bees and their protection

The extinction of bees is not just a worrying matter for beekeepers. Around 80 percent of our crops and wild plants rely on pollination by insects, especially bees. Without these little helpers, many fruits such as apples and strawberries would not be able to thrive. There are alternatives, but they are expensive, time-consuming and not nearly as effective as natural pollination by bees. [Become a hobby beekeeper](https://hobbyimker- Werden.de/2025/04/07/wenn-die-biene-verschwindet/)

Torsten Lengert not only calls for support for hobby beekeepers, but also calls for more recognition and programs to promote beekeeping. Because without bees, not only honey is in danger, but also the entire ecosystem on which our everyday lives are based. Each of us can do something for these valuable animals: from planting flowering plants to avoiding chemical pesticides to supporting local beekeepers.

Beekeeping is more than just a hobby – it is an important building block for our ecosystem and our diet. If you would like to become active yourself, you will have many opportunities to do so in the coming weeks, as registration for the new beekeeping courses is now open!