Beekeepers report yielding higher-than-usual honey production - above-standard honey yields documented by beekeeping professionals
Climate change is posing challenges for beekeepers in Hesse, a region known for its rich biodiversity and honey production. A heavy infestation of Varroa mite, a parasite that lives in beehives and transmits viruses, is reducing the lifespan of winter bees from six months to about four weeks. This parasite, a concern for beekeepers in Hesse, also feeds on bee larvae.
In addition to the Varroa mite, bees are finding less or no nutritious nectar and pollen due to drought and high heat, consequences of climate change. This scarcity is affecting the bees' health and honey production. The ideal situation for bees is to find nutritious nectar and pollen every day from February to September, a period known as the 'flowing band'. However, with climate change, this period might be disrupted.
Earlier this year, bees in Hesse swarmed in March, earlier than usual. This early swarming could be a response to warmer temperatures, another impact of climate change.
The Hessian Beekeepers' Association is urging Hessian beekeepers to continue taking measures against the Varroa mite to raise healthy winter bees. While the association recommends biotechnical measures and alternatives such as formic acid, using formic acid also harms the bees.
Hochschule Geisenheim University in Hesse is actively researching climate change effects on viticulture, horticulture, and landscapes, including how food production can be made more sustainable under changing climatic conditions. This research likely overlaps with understanding how bees, vital pollinators, are affected by climate shifts.
Challenges related to industrial transformation, climate change, and fertilization are discussed in the Hesse region, reflecting broader environmental pressures that may influence beekeeping operations and honey yields.
More generally, climate change can impact honey production through shifts in flowering phenology, causing mismatches between bees’ foraging activities and flower availability. It can also increase the frequency of extreme weather events harming bee health and colony survival, change the distribution of plant species and the emergence of new pests and diseases, and affect nectar and pollen quality, influencing honey quantity and quality.
While specific detailed studies on Hesse’s beekeeping under climate change were not found, the region's active research on agricultural and environmental responses to climate change, combined with general scientific understanding, suggests that honey production and beekeeping in Hesse are likely experiencing challenges and adaptations due to evolving climate conditions. Further targeted research would be needed to provide quantitative local impacts and adaptation strategies.
- The Hessian Beekeepers' Association is emphasizing the necessity of employing the community policy to combat the Varroa mite, considering its detrimental effects on both bees' health and honey production, a concern that stems from climate change.
- As climate change poses challenges for beekeeping, environmental-science studies from Hochschule Geisenheim University might offer insights on the effects of climate-change on the quality and quantity of honey production, aiding in the development of sustainable lifestyle practices in food-and-drink industries that cater to the needs of bees and honey production.
- With extreme weather events becoming more frequent and nectar and pollen quality deteriorating due to climate change, individual Hesse beekeepers may need to continually adapt their employment policies to cope with these changes, securing their income and maintaining a stable work environment in an increasingly challenging climactic landscape.
