The open beekeeping day of the NBV in de Wijk attracted hundreds of visitors on Saturday. The large number certainly also had to do with the location, next to the Welkoop, and the beautiful summer weather. But the interest went beyond that; with many questions to the beekeepers who were standing by and reading the columns about biodiversity, it is clear that care for fauna and the environment is shared.
The beekeepers worked hard. Beekeeping and all the pleasures that go with it were reviewed! But the Wijker beekeepers also wanted to make a statement towards the disturbed insect landscape. According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Eco Systems (IPBES), one million plant and animal species will become extinct in the coming decades due to human influence. “A study that 150 scientists from all over the world have been working on for three years. We know that in recent years many insect species have had a hard time surviving. So are many of the 359 species of bees. This is disturbing and a reason for the beekeepers in the District to draw attention to this,” says beekeeper Theo Hulshof.
Man and nature in balance
“How different it was in ancient Egypt over 3,000 years ago. They were aware of the important contribution that bees make to human well-being. The bees provided honey, propolis and wax. Humans depended on bees for the distribution of pollen, a condition for food production. In ancient Egypt, the bee was therefore cherished. There was no nitrogen problem then either”, Theo Hulshof said on Saturday.
According to the beekeepers, biodiversity is the key concept and the beekeepers in De Wijk are strongly arguing that, given the seriousness of the situation, everyone should invest heavily in this. This day was even more about the hobby: beekeeping. There was something to learn and experience for every generation. Bees in a glass hive showed how well organized they are.
The process from having a swarm of bees to swinging honey was shown here. An old craft, basket weaving, could also be admired. Honey, in flavours, could be tasted.
There were activities for children with fun questions and facts. For example, an answer was asked to the question how many kilometers should a bee fly if it only wants to fill a jar of honey? The answer was 40,000 kilometers. And not everyone knows that a queen bee can lay 2000 eggs in a day. Beekeepers were happy to answer all questions.