A beekeeper from southern Germany has said established circumstances are currently being “shaken up” as young people become increasingly interested in apiculture.
Michael Maier from Lenggries, a small town south of Munich, Bavaria, recently agreed to take the helm at the local beekeeping union.
The 37-year-old electrician and system designer took up beekeeping three years ago. Now he admitted: “I’m hooked on apiculture.”
Asked by the Münchner Merkur newspaper whether beekeeping was mostly a hobby of elderly people, Michael explained: “Overall, this is currently the case. However, I have noticed in recent years the participation of more and more young people.”
The ‘Lenggrieser Honigmanufaktur‘ manager, who has 4,000 followers on social media, concluded: “Things are being shaken up right now.”
Reflecting on developments in Germany throughout the decades, Michael explained: “In 1950, there were almost twice as many bee colonies in Germany. However, a turnaround has been kicked off recently. Beekeeping is becoming more modern, more popular and younger.”
Asked why so few residents of Germany opt for full-time beekeeping, the hobbyist explained: “It’s just not worth it. Unfortunately, many people are not ready or able to spend sums on regional honey which would enable beekeepers to make a living.”
The German Union of Professional Beekeepers has 4,500 members. However, an estimated 135,000 to 155,000 inhabitants of the Central European country engage in apiculture in their free time.
Germany’s professional and hobbyist beekeepers managed around 982,000 hives in 2021. This was a significant increase compared to the previous year when they were in charge of just 951,000 colonies.
