Like no other being, the honeybee has been closely linked to the human way of life for thousands of years. Religion, mythology, culture, medicine, nutrition, ecology and much more, are all somehow connected to bees or their delicious honey.
In this first post I want to share some surprising insights into the life of bees and to highlight the importance of beekeeping for a sustainable natural and cultural landscape.
About Peter
Peter Limbasan is one of the few remaining beekeepers in Germany and I had the chance to photograph him at work during the honey harvesting time. He lives in the Eastern Allgäu region, known for its high mountains, clear lakes and natural wonders.
Peter’s bees know their way around the neighbouring hilly landscape dominated by forests and farmland. In that late summer afternoon, they were buzzing around the 57-year-old beekeeper as they carried nectar and pollen to the 10 hives. They then swarmed out again, heading back into the surrounding sea of green - a squadron of tireless, striped nectar collectors.
I decided to dress up in a sting-proof bee suit with a full fencing veil which Peter offered only after I told him I would not feel comfortable around a swarm of bees without it. He smiled and said, “some bees are gentler than others. Mine are calm and easy to work with as long as you know what you are doing.”
He was wearing a simple white robe with no additional sting protection. This complete vulnerability seemed to me as part of an agreement of mutual trust and respect which the beekeeper had established with the tiny insects who would allow him to enter their homes and harvest the sweet honey.
The divine nectar of the ancient world
“People have always attributed special powers to the tiny bees,” he says, lighting a straw bundle in an old puffing pipe-like device. Peter uses the smoke to calm the insects during the harvesting process. Everything he does looks like a well-rehearsed ritual with gentle movements and great precision.
I circle the hives loosely and try not to stand in his way, aiming the camera whenever I find a good composition. He speaks every now and then with a calm and monotone voice.
“You know, in ancient Egypt bees were worshipped already during the 1st dynasty, around 3200 BC, as a symbol of the pharaohs and their kingdom.
Many rulers declared bees to be their emblematic animal. For example, Napoleon's magnificent robe and his banner were decorated with the busy bees,” said Peter as he carefully removed a bee-covered honeycomb from the hive and opened a few of its hexagonal cells.
And then a spontaneous marathon through history began and I was enjoying every moment.
“The Greeks, the Romans, the Mayans... In all these cultures honey has been associated with myths and legends.
Honey was offered to the gods for ritual and magical purposes. The Maya, for whom honey was also sacred, brought corn as a sacrifice to the gods after every honey harvest.”
Peter was taking his time explaining the role of the bees in the history books, pausing whenever he would come to a more delicate step in the harvesting ritual which demanded his complete attention.
“Did you know the Greeks placed honey in the graves of their deceased as a symbol of eternal life? Honey was also considered to be an excellent beauty product. In ancient Greece, beekeeping was considered a noble and rewarding pastime, which was practiced by rich and poor alike.”
Using his right hand, he carefully brushed several worker bees from the honeycomb he was holding. The tiny agitated insects crawled on his fingers. Peter looked at me as if to say "Look, the bees are completely peaceful." But I knew that the peace treaty was only made with the bee charmer not with the photographer so I kept a safe distance, two meters away from the action.
He then continued.
“The Romans considered honey to be a magical substance which delighted those who ate it with poetry and eloquence. They loved the sweet honey very much and used it extensively in their kitchen. Thus, beekeeping was also widespread among the Romans and the entire empire.”
Using a tool called a frame lifter, Peter opened the cells of a honeycomb and then placed it into an old honey extractor. The device uses centrifugal force to separate and extract the sweet, amber-coloured liquid from the wax. I was assigned to operate the honey extractor in order to save precious time.
As this was one of the final steps in the harvesting process, I took the opportunity to ask Peter how is the bee population doing in Germany compared to previous years and neighbouring countries? The beekeeper deepened the tone of his voice as if changing the tune to a more sober mood and a saddening frown appeared on his face.
“We are about 130,000 beekeepers today in Germany with around 700,000 bee colonies and experts say this is far too little. Germany needs at least a million bee colonies because the honeybee is responsible for the pollination of 80% of our flowering plants," said Peter. "The loss of bees is a threat to biodiversity."
The disbalance in the numbers and Peter’s reaction made me realise the dire situation we have come to not only in Germany but also worldwide. According to the Bavarian beekeeper, some of the main reasons are the use of monocultures and pesticides in agriculture. “Certain pesticides are blamed for the deaths of large numbers of bees worldwide and people continue to use them.”
I left Peter’s house with 3 jars of freshly harvested honey, a camera full of photographs and a strong belief that I had to somehow share this tale.
During the factchecking stage I sadly realised that he was accurate in his description and that I could add even more manmade reasons for the honeybee genocide such as overbreeding and a parasitic mite called Varroa destructor.
The bottom line is the quantity and quality of our fruits, legumes and agricultural crops is directly linked to the size of the bee populations. Also, many wild plants need the help of these industrious insects to reproduce more efficiently.
How diverse and unique the life of bees is, may be shown by the fact that man has been using their services since the beginning of time, but still fails to understand that his life depends on the prosperity of this little state-forming insect. I therefore dedicate my first tale to the beekeepers of the world.
