A young beekeeper who got into apiculture out of curiosity has managed to continue doing what she loves despite moving away to study.
Six years ago, Rieke Staeck attended a lecture for beekeeping beginners just out of curiosity. Rieke, from the small Hessian town of Weilrod, quickly developed an immense interest in the topic.
She obtained her first honeybee colonies but decided to continue gathering knowledge about apiculture. Rieke agreed with an experienced beekeeper living nearby he would place her hives at his apiary and guide Rieke on her beekeeping journey.
Rieke, who is now 27 years old, then moved to Karlsruhe in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg to study. In the city, which is a two-hour drive from Weilrod, Rieke rents an apartment which lacks any space for bee colonies.
She agreed with her mother to place them in the backyard of her house back in Weilrod. Her mum and a beekeeping colleague check on the six colonies whenever Rieke is not there. The student takes over at weekends and during the holidays.
Rieke told the DPA news agency: “Beekeeping is a complex matter. Observing the establishment of a new colony makes me so happy.”
She added: “The fresh cells look so nice and they smell great. I perceive nature in a totally different way when I’m at the hives.”
More and more women and young people in Germany are discovering their interest in apiculture. However, almost eight in 10 beekeepers are men.
The average age of apiarists in Germany decreased by around 10 years to 55, according to figures provided by beekeeping associations.
Between 135,000 and 150,000 residents of Germany engage in honey farm management in their free time or as professional beekeepers. In 2022, they were in charge of 950,000 colonies.
One 500-gramme jar of honey produced in the country costs around EUR 6.50 (GBP 5.56), around five per cent more than one year ago.
