Bee power in Vienna: Fight for sustainability and diversity!

Bee power in Vienna: Fight for sustainability and diversity!

On May 20, 2025, the Bee Day will be celebrated, an event that puts the important role of bees as pollinators in agriculture and for the preservation of biological diversity. Vienna Holding takes this day as an opportunity to emphasize its commitment to sustainability and the protection of the bees. Around 60 to 70 bee colonies are currently being cultivated in their companies with a total of around 3.5 million bees. This impressively shows how important bees are for food production and what role you can play in ecological balance. These activities are part of a larger trend towards sustainable beekeeping, which, in addition to bee health, also promotes regional added value.

In the companies of Vienna Holding, there are many different projects that aim to promote bees. In the Döbling district, the Vienna Holding runs five beehives with around 200,000 bees, which produce around 60 kg of flower honey annually. The residents have the opportunity to obtain the honey and take part in interesting tours and tastings. The conditions for city honey are ideal in the port of Vienna; Around 200,000 bees also live here, and even up to 800,000 at peak times. The honey produced is passed on to the customers as a gift.

diverse bee projects in Vienna

The Therme Vienna is one of the other locations where bees are kept. Five bee colonies with a total of around 350,000 bees live here, which produced around 198 kg of "Thermalengold" last year, which is sold directly on site. The Schlosspark Laxenburg also contributes to bee protection by home to 43 bee colonies, which together include approximately 2.1 million bees. The Honey Schlosspark there is also available and is supplemented by educational tours, guided by beekeeper Markus Podhorsky, which also includes a honey tasting.

Furthermore, the Viecon company operates five beehives on the roof, which can house up to 350,000 bees. Although no honey has been produced here, around 150 liters are expected in autumn. These projects illustrate how sustainable practices can look in practice and that the protection of bees is part of a strategy to promote biodiversity and regional cooperation.

sustainable beekeeping as a key to biodiversity

The principles of sustainable beekeeping, as described at Weihungbienle.de, emphasize the importance of bee health, environmental protection and social responsibility. This also includes the laying of flower areas to secure the diet of the bees, as well as the absence of pesticides. This reduces stress for bees and promotes your health.

Another aspect of sustainable beekeeping is the education. Educational projects in schools or initiatives such as the Bee4Planet project promote awareness of the central role of bees and their protection. The fair dealings with the beekeeping partners ensure a fair added value in the region.

The worldwide Situation of bee colonies

The global number of bee colonies has risen to approx. 102.1 million in 2023 according to Destatis.de, which has corresponded to an increase of 47 % since 1990. In Europe, the number of 22.5 million bee colonies increased to around 25.4 million in 1990. This shows a very different course in the European regions, from stable figures in Western Europe to a significant decline in Eastern Europe.