URBAN BEEKEEPING
Honey from the city
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Hives and honey production on a rooftop in the middle of the city of Zurich. Helena Greter – well protected – opens the trays.
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The honeycombs are removed during the summer harvest
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The beekeeper carefully analyses the colony to ensure good health
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There is a large selection of blossoms in the city thanks to numerous parks, gardens and fields. The veil protects Helena Greter from the bees.
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Gloves are necessary when opening the door
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A feather and smoke are two classic tools used in harvesting the honey. The smoke is used to calm the bees and the feather to gently scrape them out.
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This comb gives a lot of honey. Afterward it can be used again.
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As a replacement for the honey that has been removed, the bees are given sugar water
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At the harvest, the combs filled with honey by the bees are removed
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The bees seal their hives. Immediately after harvesting, the caps – which are made of wax and honey – are removed.
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The uncapped honeycombs are symmetrically balanced so that the drum runs smoothly and the honey can flow. Afterward the honey is filtered three times and left to stand for 10 days.
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The fresh honey is strained with a sieve, which catches the pieces of wax. Helena Greter samples the fresh honey.
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The honey is bottled, labelled and ready for sale
Urban gardening and urban beekeeping – that is, the planting of vegetables and the keeping of bee colonies on roofs and terraces in the middle of cities – is a trend worldwide, including in Zurich. Whoever thinks that beekeeping is child’s play would be wrong, however.
One of Zurich’s pioneers in the field of beekeeping is biologist Helena Greter. For years she’s been dedicated to bees, hosting several colonies and selling “Honig us Züri” (honey from Zurich). Her bees are regular visitors to Zurich’s parks, gardens and fields. She knows from experience that beekeeping is no easy task. For city folk who are interested in keeping bees, she recommends a two-year course.
In recent years there have been numerous reports of bee colonies dying out, for reasons which are still unclear. Is it the varroa mite, unintentionally imported from the far East, that’s responsible? Is it the harmful pesticides, the monocultures, or other ecological influences? One thing is clear: man and nature need these small, industrious creatures. Both wild bees and honey bees are responsible for pollinating a major portion of our cultivated and wild plants. Thus the keeping of bees in the city is certainly a welcome pastime.
(Photos: Anne Gabriel-Jürgens, Text: Gaby Ochsenbein, swissinfo.ch)
Categories: Europe, Switzerland