Heath beekeeping
Encyclopedia
Heath beekeeping was a specialist form of beekeeping, which was intensively practised by beekeeper
s on the Lüneburg Heath
from the Middle Ages
until the 19th century, but which is now very rarely encountered. It was also referred to as Lüneburger Schwarmbienenzucht (Lüneburg honey bee breeding) Lüneburger Heideimkerei (Lüneburg Heath beekeeping) or Lüneburger Korbimkerei (Lüneburg basket beekeeping). Typical features were beehive
s made of plaited straw baskets or skeps, the use of heathland flowers, frequent moving of bees to worthwhile feeding areas and the enormous multiplication of bee colonies through swarming.
. It involves a transportable, swarming hive in which the beekeeper only allows a small number of colonies to overwinter. In spring, the number of colonies increases many times through the process of swarming, and several hundred were not unusual. Over the centuries, by selecting bees that swarm early and often, beekeepers on the heathlands developed an extremely swarm-loving and robust species known as the European dark bee
.
The once widespread Bienenzaun (bee enclosure) apiary provided plenty of space. Beehives were made from straw into a plaited basket, the Lüneburger Stülper or Lüneburg Skep and, in the 1940s and 50s the Kanitz Basket (Kanitzkorb), named after its inventor, was also used. Because there was not usually enough local forage for the many hives concentrated into one place, the beekeepers had to move the bees around to areas where there were worthwhile sources of nectar. The new colonies formed in the early spring from swarms, collected honey from the blossoming heathlands in late summer, mainly in August and September. After the honey was harvested the superfluous colonies were removed from their baskets and sold as 'bare' colonies without honeycombs.
These bees were very keen to swarm.
and beeswax
on the Lüneburg Heath. In the Middle Ages heather honey was a sought-aftern commodity. Beekeeping was common in the core areas of the former heath, so that almost every farmstead had a Bienenzaun. The farmers employed special beekeeping hands for this purpose. The town of Celle
on the Südheide was a major trading centre for heather honey. As early as the 16th century there was a professional apiculture centre. It declined during the second half of the 19th century for a number of reasons, which led to the retreat of the areas of heathland. As a result of land consolidation there were no areas of common land
with their wide range of nectar-producing plants. The introduction of artificial fertiliser enabled better harvest yields from heath soils and so areas of heath were turned into arable land. Marshland soils with buckwheat
cultivation were turned into meadows for cattle. In addition, large areas of heath were reforested with fast-growing pines
. Today there are only a very few apiaries left on the Lüneburg Heath which keep bees in the historic way. These also produce comb honey
which is a speciality today due to its rarity. Comb honey is a honeycomb filled with heather honey.
Beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly; pollinating fruits and vegetables; raising queens and bees for sale to other farmers; and/or for purposes satisfying natural scientific curiosity...
s on the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
until the 19th century, but which is now very rarely encountered. It was also referred to as Lüneburger Schwarmbienenzucht (Lüneburg honey bee breeding) Lüneburger Heideimkerei (Lüneburg Heath beekeeping) or Lüneburger Korbimkerei (Lüneburg basket beekeeping). Typical features were beehive
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
s made of plaited straw baskets or skeps, the use of heathland flowers, frequent moving of bees to worthwhile feeding areas and the enormous multiplication of bee colonies through swarming.
Methods
Heath beekeeping is a special form of beekeeping used to obtain heather honeyHoney
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
. It involves a transportable, swarming hive in which the beekeeper only allows a small number of colonies to overwinter. In spring, the number of colonies increases many times through the process of swarming, and several hundred were not unusual. Over the centuries, by selecting bees that swarm early and often, beekeepers on the heathlands developed an extremely swarm-loving and robust species known as the European dark bee
European dark bee
The European dark bee was domesticated in modern times, and taken to North America in colonial times. These small, dark-colored honey bees are sometimes called the German black bee, although they occurred originally from Britain to eastern Central Europe.There are three main races,...
.
The once widespread Bienenzaun (bee enclosure) apiary provided plenty of space. Beehives were made from straw into a plaited basket, the Lüneburger Stülper or Lüneburg Skep and, in the 1940s and 50s the Kanitz Basket (Kanitzkorb), named after its inventor, was also used. Because there was not usually enough local forage for the many hives concentrated into one place, the beekeepers had to move the bees around to areas where there were worthwhile sources of nectar. The new colonies formed in the early spring from swarms, collected honey from the blossoming heathlands in late summer, mainly in August and September. After the honey was harvested the superfluous colonies were removed from their baskets and sold as 'bare' colonies without honeycombs.
These bees were very keen to swarm.
History
For centuries, the historic basket or heath beehive produced honeyHoney
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
and beeswax
Beeswax
Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees of the genus Apis. It is mainly esters of fatty acids and various long chain alcohols...
on the Lüneburg Heath. In the Middle Ages heather honey was a sought-aftern commodity. Beekeeping was common in the core areas of the former heath, so that almost every farmstead had a Bienenzaun. The farmers employed special beekeeping hands for this purpose. The town of Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
on the Südheide was a major trading centre for heather honey. As early as the 16th century there was a professional apiculture centre. It declined during the second half of the 19th century for a number of reasons, which led to the retreat of the areas of heathland. As a result of land consolidation there were no areas of common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
with their wide range of nectar-producing plants. The introduction of artificial fertiliser enabled better harvest yields from heath soils and so areas of heath were turned into arable land. Marshland soils with buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
cultivation were turned into meadows for cattle. In addition, large areas of heath were reforested with fast-growing pines
Pines
Pines may refer to:*Pine, coniferous trees of the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae*PINES or Public Information Network for Electronic Services- People with the surname :...
. Today there are only a very few apiaries left on the Lüneburg Heath which keep bees in the historic way. These also produce comb honey
Comb honey
Comb honey is honey, intended for consumption, which still contains pieces of the hexagonal-shaped beeswax cells of the honeycomb.Before the invention of the honey extractor almost all honey produced was in the form of comb honey...
which is a speciality today due to its rarity. Comb honey is a honeycomb filled with heather honey.
Literature
- Hans-Günther Brockmann: Gerät der Korbimker in der Lüneburger Heide, Hildesheim, 2005, ISBN 3-8067-8507-4
- Georg Heinrich Lehzen: Die Hauptstücke aus der Betriebsweise der Lüneburger Bienenzucht, 165 Seiten, Erstauflage 1880, Neuauflage durch Heinrich Holtermann GmbH & Co. KG
- Friedrich Trauegott Schmidt: Der Bienenbau in Körben, oder Niedersächsischer Bienenvater, Leipzig: Crusius, 1768, Digitalisiertes Exemplar im .pdf-Format