Bees at FUCHS

Did we plan to acquire the new industry? Certainly not. The creation of an enterprise apiary is one of our actions aimed at active support of the environment. In this way, we wanted to draw attention to the serious problem of extinction of bees.

We want to be EKO

Ecology has a special place among the values ​​of our company. And it's not just only beautiful slogan. Although we represent an industry that draws from raw materials obtained from the environment, we try to ensure that our activities are not burdensome to the environment. In this matter, we constantly raise the bar: we implement more and more modern technologies, we meet stringent standards. We change ourselves, but we are also willing to engage in projects that can benefit local communities and the environment. As a global brand, we should also be responsible for the fate of our planet, and these largely depend on ... bees.

Bee in a key role

Bees, except that they give us honey and wax, propolis or bee jelly, have one more mission to carry out. They are responsible for pollinating flowers. It is estimated that they help seventy percent of plants in this way. Thanks to them, we have vegetables and fruits that we eagerly eat and which are food for many species of animals. As much as 90% of what man feeds on is created by the work of these small insects.

Can you imagine what would happen if suddenly the bees ran out? Albert Einstein, often quoted recently, claims that humanity would remain four years old. Some scientists say ten. Anyway, no one doubts that this would end a huge catastrophe for us.

Data that they must worry about

Unfortunately, this scenario is more and more real. In recent years, we have heard a lot of disturbing signals. Beekeepers report an extremely rapid decline in the number of these beneficial insects. The phenomenon of mass disappearance of bees was observed already in the first decade of the present century in the USA. Later, similar information in an avalanche pace began to flow from other parts of the world. The problem is visible, among others in China and European Union countries. Beekeepers from Poland also beat the alarm. In 2017 the abundance of some of our apiaries has decreased by two-thirds!

Dangerous CCD

Bees are suffering from diseases that were previously known, but there are also new ailments. Recently the loudest is about the CCD syndrome. It is a strange ailment that hives worker bees from the hives, leaving only the queen and offspring there. The reasons for this state of affairs are not entirely clear. It is said that insects for some reason are confused, which does not allow them to return to the hive. The facts are that thanks to CCD, only 10% of the population remains alive in some American apiaries.

What harms the bees?

That is bad, we all know. Researchers are now trying to explain why the bee population is shrinking so fast. There are a lot of theories on this subject. Most often high mortality is explained by the harmful effects of pesticides, which are often used in agriculture. The list of potential culprits also includes: genetically modified plants or waves produced by cellular networks. Bees also do not use monoculture crops. The average worker to collect nectar goes to places located within 10 km from the hive. If the area is dominated by fields where only one type of plant is grown (eg rape), its "diet" will be quite poor.

What can we do?

Replacing bees is probably not possible. It is true that there are regions in China where useful insects are no longer seen and their role is taken over by employees, but the effectiveness of such pollinators leaves much to be desired. Anyway, there is no wonder. Bees are a very busy species that can not be matched by even the most motivated human staff. Suffice it to say that in order to collect a kilogram of honey, they must visit, for example, 20 million clover flowers. So instead of looking for plan B, which we will start when the bees are extinct, maybe it is better to focus on their protection? Let's not waste time!

Bees enter the city

But there are also positive signals. Recently, it is fashionable to set up new hoes. Interestingly: beehives often appear in urban space. Absurd? In no case! The fact that we are in the city does not mean that we can not help bees, and by the way sweeten their lives a little. What's more: it turns out that honey from such apiaries is healthier than the rural one. This is because no harmful pesticides are used in the city.

Let us support useful insects!

Such trends are worth promoting. By creating an apiary, we wanted to set a good example for other institutions operating in our agglomeration, because only through joint action can we reverse the unfavorable tendency.

Silesia is not a hegemon when it comes to honey production. With 474 tons, we are far from the leader - the Wielkopolska Province, where 2,525 tons of this natural sweetener are produced. However, we can try to change it with small steps. Setting up apiaries is extremely important when we take into account the rapid shrinking of the number of beekeepers and how much bees mean to us.