A passionate leisure-time beekeeper has given an insight into the manifold topics he learned about in a course he recently attended.
Karl-Michael Bögl obtained a skilled beekeeping degree at the Upper Austrian Apiculture Association.
The machine engineering specialist from the town of Sankt Marienkirchen in the district of Schärding said: “The theoretic lessons took place in Linz but there was lots of practice at different locations including a professional apiary.”
Karl-Michael, who got into beekeeping in 2014, told the MeinBezirk news website: “Specialist fields such as business management, marketing, bee products, food hygiene, the anatomy of the honeybee, queen bee breeding, bee diseases and biological beekeeping are part of the skilled beekeeper programme.”
Speaking about the obligations of a bee hive owner, the Upper Austrian engineer said: “Observing the bees on a regular basis is important. It enables you to take action whenever an issue occurs.”
Most of the residents of Austria who engage in beekeeping are doing so in their free time. They were in charge of around 456,000 bee colonies in 2021, according to figures provided by the government.
One honeybee colony consists of 30,000 to 60,000 bees, according to the Canadian Honey Council, a non-government organisation founded in 1940.
Honeybees can fly as far as 12 kilometres (7.5 miles). However, they usually focus on food sources within a radius of three kilometres (1.9 miles), according to experts.
The antioxidant substances honey contains may be associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The US American research institution also refers to studies suggesting that “eucalyptus honey, citrus honey and labiatae honey can act as a reliable cough suppressant for some people with upper respiratory infections and acute nighttime cough.”
