Beekeeping in our Nursery

 

 

How the bees came to Tremmen – An interview with beekeeper Horst Gallert

 

> Which criteria did you choose the location by?

The state of Brandenburg has many agricultural areas which, apart from rapeseed, provide hardly any food for bees. What remains are the typical private and street plantings such as linden trees, robinias and acacias, which are highly appreciated by bees. The nursery offers a wider selection of plants and flowers. But what makes the location in the nursery so special are the green manure areas.

 

> What advantages do you see in setting up beehives in a tree nursery?

Outside the nursery, bees find hardly any nectar before October. Agricultural land with rapeseed, for example, only provides food for insects for a certain period of time. It’s different in the nursery. I deliberately chose the location in Tremmen because of the green manure areas. Phacelia is sown there in spring and also in autumn, which is a very good source of food for bees! And in between there are a host of other flowers.

 

 

 

> Does the biological plant protection have an impact on your bee colonies?

Absolutely. Both the undersown Phacelia and the flowers and herbs provide my bee colony with sufficient food all year round. This gives them security and stimulates the growth of the bee population. The more food there is, the more new bees hatch. That in turn secures their survival in winter, since bees protect themselves with their body warmth mutually from cold.

So the more there is, the higher the chances of survival of each individual bee. If bees find little or irregular food, the colony remains small, with about 5,000 bees. However, if they are supplied with nectar from spring to autumn, as here in the nursery, such a colony can quickly grow to 13-14,000 bees.

 

Thank you for your time!