A ‘Multi’-Bee Project in Leer, Germany🐝🌸
by Dr. Nelson kattikat
Who Lives Here?
Since the spring of 2020, bee colonies have made their home in this bee garden. From April to September, they carefully collect pollen and nectar within a 3 km radius. This supports their young (larvae) and helps them produce honey, royal jelly, propolis (a substance used in homeopathy), and beeswax.
If you watch closely, you might see bees flying into their hives with their “pollen pants” — tiny yellow bundles of pollen packed on their hind legs!
Experienced beekeepers care for these hardworking insects. Each bee, both as an individual and as part of a colony, displays extraordinary intelligence and skill. Under the guidance of these beekeepers, school students volunteer during holidays to help harvest the honey, which is later jarred and sold at Multi Supermarket after the summer harvest. Visitors can even sample this fresh, local honey!
Who’s Involved?
In partnership with the HS Gutenberg School, a bee club has been launched through Multi supermarket. Students who are part of the Bienen-AG (bee club) get to directly engage with the bees and explore fascinating natural processes.
At school, students begin by learning the basics of beekeeping. Later, they work in small groups alongside the beekeepers in the honey garden. They meet worker bees and drones (male bees), and observe the bees’ diverse and fascinating tasks.
🐝 Fun Fact: When a bee discovers a good food source, it performs a special “waggle dance” to tell the others the exact direction and distance to it. This dance is a brilliant example of insect communication — and it’s taught to the students as one of the many wonders of the bee world!
The children watch these dances and learn how bees use teamwork, division of labor, and highly organized planning — lessons we humans can learn from as well.
The program also includes hands-on activities like harvesting honey and separating it from the waxy combs. Additionally, students take part in craft projects — creating useful items for the bees or tools for honey processing.
As part of the holiday program organized by the city of Leer (Germany), children get the chance to spend an exciting day with the bees and experience beekeeping firsthand.
What’s Blooming Here?
In the honey garden, plant supplier Walter Wolters has carefully designed a space filled with plants and shrubs specially chosen to attract bees. These “foraging plants” are rich in nectar and pollen. There’s also a fruit tree meadow to support a diverse ecosystem.
For people who want to support bees at home, a small selection of bee-friendly plants is available here. The complete plant list can be found via the QR code, at Hagebaumarkt, or the Multi Garden Center. Staff members there are happy to advise on natural gardening techniques.
🌼 Perennials:
Ajuga reptans (Creeping Bugle)
Allium aflatunense (Ornamental Onion)
Aquilegia caerulea (Columbine)
Thymus vulgaris (Common Thyme)
Digitalis (Foxglove)
Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender)
Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)
🌳 Shrubs:
Amelanchier lamarckii (Juneberry / Serviceberry)
Cornus mas (Cornelian Cherry)
Euodia hupehensis / Tetradium daniellii (Bee Tree)
Ligustrum vulgare (Privet)
Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape)
Rhamnus frangula (Alder Buckthorn)
Salix gracilistylis (Willow varieties)
Did You Know? 🧠🐝
Honey bees have 5 eyes and can see ultraviolet light!
A single bee produces only about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime — it takes the work of thousands to make a single jar.
Bees can fly up to 24 km/h and flap their wings over 200 times per second.
Propolis, collected by bees from tree resin, is a natural antibacterial, often used in traditional medicine.
If you’re curious to learn more about this amazing project or the world of bees, visit the Multi Garden Center’s Information Area in Leer, Germany, or check out their website. You can also download the “Bee App” developed by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture to explore more bee knowledge interactively.
A Personal Note:
I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced this remarkable project and the honey garden firsthand. I saw so many beautiful plants I had never encountered before, and was surrounded by bees and butterflies flying in gentle circles. It was a joyful, unforgettable experience that deepened my appreciation for nature and the vital role bees play in our world.
video can be seen in following link
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bi3mnYxnz/
whisperer 