So that no wrong impression arises: "we see it very gladly, if bees are held", says the chairman of the beekeepers’ association of munnerstadt and the surrounding area, dieter scholzke. But when he runs into a swarm of bees on his way home from work, he knows something is wrong. "The bees were completely disoriented, normally now no more black bees fly, that is totally unusual", he says. The experienced beekeeper knows the term for such a case. "This was a hunger swarm."
Such a swarm can only occur with improper beekeeping, female dieter scholzke. The bees were obviously not fed. It is becoming more and more common for people to put a hive in their garden, not care about it, and then go on vacation. This is how these hungry bees. "Before they starve, they leave the hive", says dieter schozke. "Then they beg into other colonies and maybe bring the varroa mite with them." Or even the foulbrood, a bee disease. As chairman of the beekeepers’ association with the educational apiary, he couldn’t accept that.
Although training is not mandatory for keeping bees, there are regulations that must be followed, informs the chairman of the bad kissingen district association, erhard bieber. "Beekeeping must generally be reported to the veterinary office", he says. The point here is that the employees of the office need to know where there are beehives in order to be able to inform the keepers, for example, in the event of an outbreak of disease. In addition, beekeepers must obtain a farm number. You can get them from the agricultural office. "Both are free of charge", emphasizes erhard bieber. There are also other regulations. "We are happy to have beekeepers, but the legal aspects must be respected", says dieter scholzke.
But the regulations are only one side of the coin. It is not compulsory, but: "it would be desirable if all beekeepers took a basic course", says dieter scholzke and erhard bieber adds: "there are nine local associations in the district, all of them are happy to provide information." So there are also regular courses for beginners. The two beekeepers ask that new beekeepers simply find out more about the subject. "You don’t have to become a member just because of that."
Dieter scholzke gives an example of why such basic training is so important: the bees had to be treated against the varroa mite in autumn and winter. "If you haven’t attended a training course, you can’t know that", he says. This also includes, for example, that a health certificate must be presented when selling bee colonies.
The referendum and other actions on bees have obviously led to actionism among some people. The "wild beekeeping is also not a phenomenon that exists only in the district of bad kissingen. "At a meeting of the district associations, other chairmen reported similar problems", says erhard bieber.
"Of course, we see it as a positive thing when citizens get involved with bees," says, it says in addition from the landratsamt. "Before one acquires animals, one should concern oneself however fundamentally with the topic." Legal requirements must be observed when keeping animals – for example, the obligation to register with the veterinary office and the office for agriculture. Registration is free of charge. "We recommend that beginners join a beekeepers’ association or a beekeepers’ association. To inform there in detail, because at this place there is professional and financial support." In so-called "honey courses learn as a newcomer everything important about beekeeping. In addition, there are further training courses and the possibility of acquiring licenses at a favorable price, according to the district administration office.
