Beekeeping in Völkermarkt: Community for healthy bee colonies!

Beekeeping in Völkermarkt: Community for healthy bee colonies!

The world of bees is booming in Völkermarkt! The Völkermarkt and Surrounding Area Beekeeping Association, an integral part of the region since its founding in 1954, has created a thriving community with its 47 members and an impressive 725 bee colonies. The members come not only from Völkermarkt itself, but also from Bleiburg, Diex and occasionally the Lavanttal. “Community and respectful cooperation are very important to us,” emphasizes Margit Cuder, who has taken over as chairman since 2015, while Gerhard Morolz, a former chairman, played a formative role at the helm of the club until 2014 with his 33 years.

For the association's beekeepers, it is important to pass on knowledge and experience. The oldest beekeeper is 88 years old and looks after two bee colonies with dedication. Further training is very important; There has been an increasing demand for beekeeping since 2013, not least due to the valuable role of bees in our ecosystem.

Activities and events

A particularly important event of the association is the annual Ambrose Mass - a charity event that takes place on December 7th in the Völkermarkt parish church. “We started the trade fair in 2014 with 30 jars of honey, and by 2024 we are already expecting 150 jars!” says Cuder, happy about this pleasing increase. Every month, the members also hold a beekeepers' get-together in the Golden Ochsen inn to promote exchange and provide new impulses.

An exciting part of the club's activities was a trip to Vienna in 2019 to the Donaustadt beekeeping club. Here the members were able to expand their network and gain new experiences. The twin town of San Giorgio in Friuli has also been represented by the Völkermarkt beekeeping association since 2014, where products and the municipality are presented at markets.

Varroa tolerance breeding – an important topic

A future-oriented topic that also concerns local beekeepers is Varroa tolerance breeding. This aims to breed beehives that can better deal with the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) - a serious problem for the honey bee world. The goal is to create bee colonies that have natural defense mechanisms. In the long term, this form of cultivation can counteract the chemical treatment that leaves residues in the honey and creates resistance. Varroa tolerance breeding focuses on traits such as hygiene behavior and shortened breeding periods in order to develop resilient colonies. This is supported by methods such as the needle test, where infected cells are identified and cleaned, interrupting the mite's reproductive cycle. Beeventure reports that the use of modern technologies such as genome sequencing could accelerate breeding progress.

Breeding programs such as the Tolerance Breeding Association (AGT), which includes more than 300 member companies, are active in Germany and other European countries. These rely on the exchange of breeding material and joint further training to help beekeepers to breed high-quality bee colonies. The AGT is a partner of the German Beekeepers Association and, among other things, organizes breeder meetings and seminars to promote the exchange of knowledge in the community.

The commitment of the Völkermarkt and surrounding area beekeeping association shows how important the active community is in overcoming the challenges of beekeeping. With every jar of honey that ends up on the region's tables, the importance of bees and beekeepers becomes clear once again!