Beekeeper

The beekeeper is concerned with the attitude, reproduction and breeding of honey bees and the production of honey and other bee products. Beekeeper is a compound word from the Low German term Imme for " bee " and the Middle Low German word kar for " basket, vessel ". Beekeepers may indeed be without any special training, but there is still an associated teaching profession with the official designation animal host, specializing in beekeeping.

Be distinguished from beekeepers is the Zeidler, who collected the honey of wild bees in the Middle Ages.

• 9.1 beekeepers diseases
• 9.2 bee diseases

Activity

The beekeeper brings his bee colonies in artificial nests, hives, below. In this they are protected by their brood from the weather and the interventions of other animals. In modern beekeeping magazine Booty and the so-called Mobile alveolar structure are used. This can quickly be profitable costumes migrate with the peoples and the collected and embedded from the honey can be harvested efficiently.

The importance of beekeeping is for agriculture is to pollinate flowers of agricultural crops to increase their income, and for the food industry is to produce honey, beeswax and pollen. If bee colonies rented for pollination, so the transport of bee colonies is also one of the tasks of the beekeeper.

Beekeeping has always had a high ecological importance, since many wild plants and herbs are dependent on the proliferation of honey bees.

Beekeeping

Synonym is used instead of the term beekeeper beekeepers. In the stricter sense of the word but only a few beekeepers actually breed their bees. This is due not least to the fact that the natural mating of young queens uncontrollably takes place in the air ( See also nuptial flight ). Several drones are involved from a catchment area of ​​about a hundred square kilometers. But what beekeepers perform a targeted queens multiplication, where they repeatedly refer to her starting material after a few generations from mother stations or breeders. In order to improve the genetic material, there are citations.

Another method for the targeted selection is artificial instrumental insemination of queen bees (under the microscope). A relief in the instrumental insemination could be achieved that can be preserved in the future bee semen. It would then no longer living drone for this operation is necessary and barriers in relation to strict hygiene regulations disease would be eliminated.

History of bee-keeping

→ Main article: History of Beekeeping

Honey bees are still wild animals, which do not actually require support by the people. Originally, they preferred to building their honeycomb construction cavities in trees. For thousands of bees are used by people for their products such as wax and honey. Oldest evidence of the " hunt" for bee products testify to 12,000 years old rock paintings from the Cuevas de la Araña, Spain, to the dwellings of the bees were tracked and exploited. With the emergence of great civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia developed around 2400 BC an organized beekeeping. The use of specially manufactured homes for bees in the form of hives and Stülpern occurred regionally very different. Although from the Greek and Roman period ceramic vessels that served as beehives are known, but was discovered in 2007, already 3000 years old from Tel Rehov beekeeping in Israel. From ancient Egypt, there are captions of honey extraction, similar to the findings. Already in ancient times the medical importance of bee products was detected. Greek and Roman authors described the high- beekeeping their time. The area of present-day Germany have archaeological excavations evidence of beekeeping for the first time in the period around 500 BC after. There have already been handed down from the early Middle Ages numerous bees legislation. Continental European, the beekeeping developed in two areas in the forest beekeeping ( Zeidlerei ) and the basket beekeeping. In the 14th century were based in Germany, the first beekeeper guilds. The Berufsimkertum came from the Lüneburg Heath in the 16th century. The beginning of modern beekeeping, as well as the complete abandonment of forest beekeeping can be identified with the turn of the 19th century. Since then, the results of numerous scientific discoveries and findings were implemented in beekeeping.

The historical picture of the beekeeper

The beekeeper was once an outright expert, whose knowledge and skills you could not do without. Unlike other craft professions, the work could not be passed briefly ( temporary workers, harvest workers ) because you had to know the peculiarities of the peoples and their loss was difficult and time-consuming to replace. An experienced beekeeper immediately saw what state were its colonies, but could convey in a short time this extensive knowledge poor. Therefore, beekeepers were regarded as a loner whose real work activity was never really known. That too, because buzzing bees keep inexperienced bystanders away. Since a copperplate beekeeper shows no pain, but quietly works, he also was considered hardy or intrepid. Since the activity in old age can be carried out yet, the Apiary was often transferred the old man. Beekeepers were associated with age, wisdom and experience, but also with Quirk.

This picture came with the industrial sugar production at the beginning of the 19th century, later honey import and thus declining importance of professional beekeepers in rural areas in the background. Today, the beekeeper shall apply rather than self-determined farmer who is active in nature and can be divided his working time freely.

Tools and equipment

Beekeeping equipment are machinery, tools and equipment of the beekeeper to work on bee colonies and for the production of bee products. Beekeepers devices can be assigned to different parts of the apiary. These are:

• Work on the bee colony
• Hiking in various costumes
• Honey production and processing
• The breeding of queens

Beekeeping products

• Honey is today the main product of most apiaries. Fewer and fewer beekeepers can keep solely through the sale of honey today. Therefore, other bee products are increasingly offered. With the increasing awareness of ecological relationships in nature today see many beekeepers as conservationists. With their colonies, they also ensure the pollination of many wild plants.

• Beeswax candles is not only for use, but is also processed into care products and cosmetics. The pharmaceutical industry still requires beeswax as a base material. In food preparation, for example, beeswax is used as a coating agent E901.

• Pollen is used as a high quality protein product as a food supplement. Other ingredients are enzymes, amino acids and a high content of vitamin B. Overall assumes about 100 biological actives. Reiner pollen tastes relatively strict ( herb ), so he will be happy to grind in the frozen state and then mixed with honey offered. It should be relatively eaten fresh because of the ingredients, if possible within six months.

• Royal jelly is the special jelly to be fed exclusively with the queens. It is produced and causes a queen is much larger and a much longer lifetime compared to the workers, has been given the not administered to these jelly by worker bees. The effect on humans is yet controversial. This is also the fact that all substances of this juice are still debated today. Royal jelly is said to taper to act on the human body.

• Propolis ( propolis also called ), is considered one of the strongest naturally occurring antibiotics and antifungal agents. It was and is still used today in naturopathy as a wound means. However, the composition can vary considerably, so that probably never expected to regulatory review. Another disadvantage of propolis may be that a certain percentage of persons, however, is allergic and therefore is warned against self- medication (no previous test).

• Bee venom is used, among other things, for the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases. It has a strong circulation-enhancing effect. In case of overdose, the patient said to have been actually stung. The treatment area is red and hot and swells like a stab at. Brings relief only permanent cooling. By the poison is secreted by the body from the adrenal cortisol. Inflammation is so accessible for many rheumatic complaints.

City ​​beekeeping

A special form of the classic beekeeping in rural areas, the city beekeeping dar. as centers of urban beekeeping ( urban beekeeping ) are Berlin, London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, DC. Apart from the German cities of Hamburg and Munich provides also the Ruhr represents a retreat of urban beekeeping

As pioneers of urban beekeeping Frenchman Jean Paucton (Paris), the American David Graves (Manhattan, New York ) and the German Marc Wilhelm Kohfink apply (Berlin). Already since 1985, keeps the Paris theater decorator Paucton on the roof of his workplace, the Opéra Garnier, bee colonies. His bees fly in the parks of the French capital. The former bus driver Graves held despite ban beekeeping in New York for years, several nations. The social scientist and business journalist Kohfink holds since April 1999 in Berlin bees. and forms in courses each year from around 20 city beekeeper. The German Bee Journal looked on top of his editorial office in Berlin since 2009, several colonies. In Berlin, since 2011 the Berlin Initiative hums, are in the set up at 15 representative locations in the city bee colonies. These include building roofs, as the Berliner Dom, the Berlin House of Representatives and the cafeteria of the Humboldt University of North.

Some long-established city associations such as the Berlin Neukölln Beekeepers Association 1923 eV or the beekeeper club Hamburg Founded in 1934, right bank of the Alster, proving that the city beekeeping is not a modern trend, but has a long tradition. In Zurich, the city beekeeper was loud Brun's guild constitution, 1336-1798 Constitution of the Imperial City and later city-state, as guild profession.

Bees suffering in the city no shortage. As a costume come next to parks, cemeteries and avenues and gardens, green roofs, overgrown land, traffic islands and balcony plants in question. The two to three degrees Celsius warmer on average climate of the city is to bees as a heat- loving animals of advantage, they are in spring and autumn while longer on the way, their food ranges from the crocus in spring to goldenrod in November. This leads next to the lower feed pressure to the fact that the harvests of the city beekeepers significantly higher than those of the country beekeeper. According to statistics of the German Beekeepers' Association so harvested Berlin city beekeeper up to 47 kg of honey per colony and year in Hamburg is 40 kilograms. Berlin and Hamburg are thus nationwide at the top.

City Honey is back stan gut, that is a load of particulate matter and pollutants has not yet been determined. In the country, however, pesticides are a problem. The honey is of high quality and is due to the Pollenmixtur instead of monoculture as particularly aromatic. The attitude is unproblematic, as losses are rather subordinated by parasites or fall in temperature.

Beekeeping in Germany

Beekeeping as a hobby or sideline Home Purchase

In Germany, there are currently 92,000 beekeepers with approximately 800,000 Bienenvölkern.Rund 95 % of beekeepers in Germany are recreational beekeepers. Few pursue beekeeping as a sideline, and only about 2,000 are professional beekeepers. The generally accepted limit for a safe operating profit is the opinion of the German tax authorities at least 30 colonies.

In Germany comparatively much honey is consumed (about 1.0 kg / capita and year ), of which about 20 % of the honey from local beekeepers are delivered, the rest is imported from abroad. An increase in the domestic production would not be a problem for beekeepers, the only reason for the high import quantity is the price of honey. This market competition has to face up to the German honey.

A major problem of beekeeping is the lack of young people. The average age of beekeepers in Germany is over 60 years and it will be added a few new beekeeper, so the number of beekeepers currently decreasing in Germany. To the lack of young people, including a special counter among the female beekeepers and to inspire even more women for beekeeping, the German Beekeepers Association exclaimed 2008 as the Year of the Woman in beekeeping. Another problem in beekeeping is the decreasing supply flowers and the over-fertilization and application of pesticides in agriculture.

Annual data reported in the DIB beekeepers and bee colonies

The number of colonies was in Germany 1900: 2,605,350 1913: 2,311,277 1921: 1,930,382 1922: 1,831,005.

Basic requirements

The decision to start keeping bees, should be well considered. There are, at least in Germany, barely legal conditions attached to this work, yet it requires some considerations:

• A beginner should not start in the first year with a large number of people, but to get used to with time and stress at work with the bee colonies. Two or three people are here a good guideline, slowly go into beekeeping.
• A bee colony is not domesticated, yet are regularly targeted intervention necessary, sometimes several times a week and in the breeding of queens even exactly on the day and hour.
• Financial investments for folks hives and other beekeeping equipment are due at the beginning. Some rarely used equipment (eg for security processing ) are often present at the beekeepers associations and can be borrowed or it is owners' associations have formed there.
• For the preparation of the hives a suitable plot of land is required, as is a space for storage of equipment. Also for the spin of honey a suitable room should be available.
• Beekeeping is displayed (usually Veterinary Office ) indicating the number of bee colonies and their location after the bee diseases Regulation the competent authority.

Beekeeping organizations

Beekeeping associations in Germany, belonging to the German Beekeepers Association, has a hierarchical structure. The lowest level form local associations with the individual beekeepers as members. It is a circle beekeepers association which is a member of the respective country Beekeepers Association. There are 19 state associations that are largely identical to the provinces. The umbrella organization represents the interests of approximately 86,000 beekeepers and their associated monitors the quality of honey. The Austrian Beekeepers Association exists a comparable institution in Austria.

There are also other beekeeping organizations in which beekeepers have joined together because of their holding of race of bees (Community of Buckfast beekeepers ) or due to an organic beekeeping.

Training

The training for beekeepers ( journeyman ) under the name of animal host, specializing in beekeeping is carried out by officially recognized training companies. It lasts three regularly, by recognizing certain conditions two years. Likewise, a so-called " side entrance " to the trade test is possible. In this case, no training is stored, but existing experience beekeepers is to demonstrate to the competent public authorities ( Chamber of Agriculture ). A further development of the animal economy Meister ( master beekeeper ) is possible.

The instructions for recreational beekeepers usually takes place by a beekeepers club. Make people interested in beekeeping a " beekeeper mentors" to the side, the practical support is provided in the initial period. Besides this, the beekeepers associations in the country for training courses.

Beekeepers are advised to join a beekeeping association. About the club and the federation is an insurance protection in the field of legal protection and liability. The liability insurance ( 2006, about one euro per colony and year) is due to potential damage claims of third parties, such as for bee stings, important.

Trainers institutions

Many clubs and their beekeepers as well as professional beekeepers and public institutions (including in some cases community colleges, conservation organizations, etc.) have made it their goal to bring close, training courses and so-called ' taster ' to all interested parties (including children and adolescents ), the bee and the beekeepers and start-up aid to offer. Here is a small selection of places where you have the opportunity, without obligation to learn the beekeepers:

• Educators and institutions bees Institutes are among others in: Germany ( sorted by provinces ): Baden- Württemberg: Gaggenau: Beekeeper School
• Heidelberg Pfaffengrund: Beekeeper School
• Karlsruhe: Beekeeper School
• Nattheim / mite Home: Härtsfelder beekeepers school e.V.
• Gengenbach - Oberentersbach: Beekeeper school Oberentersbach
• Stuttgart -Hohenheim: State Institute of Apiculture at the University of Hohenheim

• Aschach: Beekeeper school Aschach the District Beekeepers Association Oberpfalz
• Deggendorf: Office for Agriculture and Forestry
• Kaufbeuren Kleinkemnat: Beekeeper school Swabia
• Landsberg am Lech: Beekeeper School of Upper Bavaria
• Mitwitz: Beekeeper School Upper Franconia e.V.
• Veitshoechheim: Bayer. State Institute of Wine & Horticulture - Trade Center bees

• Berlin: Institute for General Zoology and Experimental Morphology of the FU Berlin / AG Bee Research

• Hohen Neuendorf: Countries Institute for Apiculture Hohen Neuendorf eV

• Bremen: Bremen Beekeeper School

• Kirchhain: country Operating Agriculture Hesse, Bieneninstitut
• Oberursel: Institute for Apiculture, Polytechnic Society, Department of Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main

• Bantin: apiculture center Bantin

• Bad Zwischenahn Oldenburg- Wehnen, teaching and research facility by LWK Weser -Ems
• Celle: Institute for Apiculture Celle
• Delmenhorst: Beekeepers Association Delmenhorst the teaching apiary in Hengsterholz
• Leer ( Ostfriesland): Beekeeper training home of the beekeepers association idle in the garden allotment " evening peace "
• Nordhorn: Beekeeper school in the Tierpark Nordhorn
• Osnabrück: zoo school and teaching apiary in the Osnabrück Zoo Schölerberg

• Bonn: Institute for Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn
• Gelsenkirchen: Beekeeper School
• Münster: Agriculture of North Rhine -Westphalia / Apiculture
• Duisburg: beginner beekeeping courses and specialization courses at the Bee Museum Duisburg
• Cologne - Dellbrueck: organic garden and apiary on the Thurner Hof

• Mayen: DLR Westerwald- eastern Eifel region, a center of expertise bees and beekeeping Mayen

• Bad Segeberg: Schleswig- Holstein Beekeeper School

• Weimar: German Bee Museum Weimar

• Graz: Styria beekeeper school
• Imst: Beekeeper School of Agricultural Land establishment
• Carinthia: Beekeeper School of the National Association for beekeeping in Carinthia
• Linz: Beekeeper School of the Upper Austrian State Beekeepers Association
• Warth- Aichhof: Lower Austrian beekeepers school in the Agricultural College
• Vienna -Danube Park: Beekeeper School Vienna

• Introductory courses in beekeeping through the regional associations.
• Basic Training: 18/2 days spread over 2 years. Price breeding of queens: 8/2 days.

• Laimburg: Some college for orchards, vineyards and horticulture / Department of agricultural, forestry and home economics training

Diseases

Beekeepers diseases

• A small percentage of people react to bee stings highly allergic. Therefore, it is recommended before the start of the serious Imkerns an allergy test by a doctor who is also required before the start of a 3 -year-old animal host - training often. Although there is also the possibility of desensitization, but they should hobby, necessary cost of immunotherapy as well as their own health / safety are weighed against each other.

• The activity of the Imkerns is a physically demanding job. A Honigzarge to be harvested, depending on prey type and mode of operation, weigh up to 30 kg. Due to the strain on the back there are occasional disc herniations.

Bee diseases

Bees suffer like other animals from diseases for which purpose further under the category: find bee disease. The most important bee diseases are:

• ( Abbreviated AFB, also foulbrood ) American foulbrood is a the veterinary to be displayed ( notifiable ) disease.
• Varroose (formerly Varroa jacobsoni ) is caused by the varroa mite and harms both bees and bee brood.
• Nosemose (formerly Nosema ) is caused by a parasite and destroys the intestinal wall of the bees.
• The small hive beetle, native to Africa than bees pest has spread within a few years on the U.S. to Canada, Egypt and Australia. It harms the people by eating brood, pollen and honey also contaminates the people and hence the honey through its feces. He still has not arrived in Germany, however, scientists are firmly convinced that it is more widespread.

Common misconceptions

About the apiary in the population commonly found misconceptions that relate in part to the work processes, and partly to a lack of knowledge of the behavioral biology of bees.

Sugar feeding

Since the honey - and thus the winter supplies - is harvested from beekeepers, it must provide for appropriate replacement to prevent the starvation of the people in the winter. This replacement is supplied usually by sugar ( in the form of syrup ) to the honey harvest. This is not an attempt to stretch the honey with sugar, but to provide the replacement stocks for overwintering of the people. It is also wrong that the bees in the winter living exclusively from sugar, because in addition to honey bees store pollen in the combs one that is important for protein and mineral supply of bees. This pollen is not removed during the spin cycle.

Winter feeding

The beekeeper does not feed his bees in the winter, even if winter feeding is mentioned. The Einfütterung the colonies takes place from late summer to early fall. Below about 10 degrees Celsius, the bees can not absorb any more food and store it for winter storage.

Stock finding

Bees are today kept in free-standing installation in magazine Booties world. Come, especially in the German-speaking countries also still occasionally rear treating hives in bee hives or bee car in front. The individual nations are often located in extreme proximity to each other. Many beekeepers emphasize the hives or arrival boards colored with the intention to facilitate the bees, the recovery of their own state. But bees orient themselves in finding their own ingress hole not only of colors. They depend also significantly on the physical environment and on their own, known as Stock smell that surrounds their state.

" Soothing " smoke

A misunderstanding is the assumption, of beekeepers would calm the bees with smoke. In fact, only the piercing willingness of bees is reduced by the smoke. However, the activity of bees increases significantly, they seek the honey -filled cells to crawl into them and fill their honey stomachs. This is followed by all beräucherten bees participate regardless of age. Beräucherte drones leave the floor hastily and do not return. This behavior is explained by the fact that a threat of fire not by defense ( jump-off) can be prevented; the bees remain in the case of a forest fire just to escape from the floor, which would actually occur if the smoke would an increase in temperature. The filled honey stomach corresponds to a rescue attempt. The beekeeper takes advantage of this behavior of the bees in order to allow a more peaceful and free engraving work on people. The bees are so distracted and busy that they can be grabbed without risk with bare fingers.