Nature has been always of interest to me, especially wildlife. Throughout my studies of Wildlife Management and Forest & Nature Conservation I got familiar with the decline of our bees. A good friend of mine decided to keep bees and thus I wanted to see how he is doing and help whenever possible. Immediately I got infected by the fascination for these little and complex creatures and decided as soon as possible I would have my own hives.

Then there was an advent which took me by surprise. At my old employer in the Netherlands, somebody spotted a bee-swarm, a huge grape shaped super-organism in the hedge. In no time I called my friend what to do. With a lot of respect and care I was able to catch the swarm and place it into a box, prepared for transporting it later in the evening.

What an experience! Holding thousands of peaceful bees in your hands! Unfortunately I couldn't keep it in my backyard and it was only when I moved to Kassel where I started to become a beekeeper. In March 2014 I bought 2 hives from a beekeeper of the beekeeper's society here in Kassel.

In May I harvested my first honey ever! A very intense spring-time honey with chestnut and appletree, a total of 19kg and with a very low water percentage of only 15%!

May and June was swarming time. There is an abundance of pollen and nectar and the hives are growing thinking of founding new hives. To prevent loosing half of my bees I made my first artificial hive, letting the bees breed a new queen. A few days after her return of her wedding flight she returned and started to lay eggs.

In July the last and main harvest took place. A summer honey with a very mild taste of lime trees and summer flowers. After the harvest the winter preparations start right away. The varoa mites are treated by using oxalic acid, no pesticides are being used, only biological treatments. Additionally the harvested honey is being replaced with sugar water, the energy supply that will keep the winter bees warm until spring.

With a new jop opportunity arising in December of 2014 in Brunswick I had to figure out a new location for my bee hives. After getting them checked by the Bee-Medic of our local bee association I was officially allowed to move them to their new location, a community garden in Brunswick, where they arrived in the middle of March 2015. The surrounding is offering a wealth of abundant willows alongside the river Oker, the many parks, alleys with chestnut and lime trees and of course the many gardens of the many urban gardens of which Brunswick allegedly is having the highest percentage ratio wise in Germany.

The bees arrived safely and after re-setting their compass they have already collected the first honey. We are looking forward to taste and share with you this experience ;-)