Beekeeping in Ukraine
At times beekeeping can be a real challenge. You must engage your brain in order to solve testing situations. When that lid comes off you are met by an entire colony of Honeybees. Now try doing this in a warzone!
An incredible young man does just that. He’s a beekeeper in Ukraine and I had the pleasure of speaking with him.
His honeybees and the product that comes from keeping bees has become a valuable source to both thw villagers and soldiers in and around his region.
I’ll refer to this man as ‘The Beekeeper’ whilst I take you into a world very alien from our own. I’ll try and explain what it’s like to live as a beekeeper in Ukraine and the struggle to keep honeybees alive in challenging times.
The Apiary
HIS STORY
The Beekeeper lives with his mother and his 92-year-old grandmother in a small village just outside of where Russia has focused most of its attacks. He unlike his friends was unable to assist in the war due to him having an operation before the Russian invasion began. So, he stayed behind and became the backbone of his family. His mother and grandmother were told to flee but they did not, they’d rather stay and help the soldiers with laundry, food, and aid than venture off into the unknown.
The Beekeeper has been beekeeping since he was 12 years old, he has 7 beehives. But sadly many are empty, as last winter families fled and left their farms, but before they left, they poisoned their fields with insecticide without giving any warning to the villagers. So his bees suffered and many died because of the chemicals.
I asked the beekeeper what it’s like to live in a country at war, he said: “From time to time, when I am working my apiary, you will hear the sudden sound of the air sirens. I quickly put my hive back together and run home. When war first broke out at the sound of the siren I would carry my grandmother down into the basement, I just about managed it as I was recovering from my operation. But it had to be done. We would wait it out not knowing what would happen to us. At times I would come out of the basement and see smoke on the horizon. Smoke from when bombs fell onto the nearby airport.”
Family and I make candles for the soldiers from wax. They use them to cook food and keep warm.
“Time has moved on and now and when the siren sings, I don’t react as fast. Because many are false alarms and just sound when a drone is near or when Mikoyan MiGs fly overhead. One day I know these sirens will be something very serious. A threat to the village.”
“In the first few days of war most of my friends left to fight, and as the war continues from time to time we receive word that someone we hold dear has been killed. And I wonder, what have they died for? Nothing has changed.”
The Beekeepers Honeybees
BEEKEEPERS AND WAR
I then asked him about his Honeybees: “My honeybees, I’m lucky in away as I’m still able to look after them and they have been unaffected by the war. But many other apiaries near me have been destroyed. Now more than ever I’m needed as a beekeeper to help my remaining friends, family and even Ukrainian soldiers.”
Because of his operation he finds it hard to lift at times, so his mother helps him.
Lots of beekeepers in Ukraine were called to war. Beekeepers here are generally male. But with the men away fighting a war, the wives had to step in to keep the country flowing with honey, but this has proven tough for some of the wives. “My apiary is fine.” He says: “Russia haven’t attacked my village but where the fighting is and has been the apiaries are gone, destroyed by bombs, fire, and combat. The few beekeepers which are left in the warzones are there to supply the Ukrainian Army with beeswax, honey, and propolis.” The importance of access to honeybees in a warzone is great. Soldiers even move the hives to safer locations to protect the produce you get from a colony of honeybees. “It is hard to look after my bees, as equipment is hard to come by and you can’t properly take care of them. You have to keep beekeeping quick and basic.”
An Apiary after the bombs fell.
“One soldier came to my apiary with a head injury, and he found just by sitting and watching the bees go about their business, helped him, and brought him a sense of calmness after facing the horrors of war.”
The Beekeeper continued:
“There’s a lot of apiaries in Eastern Ukraine but the West has lost so many. Now it’s up to me and other beekeepers here to supply the West with honey.”
“When the war is over the we will supply the West with new honeybees, so they can rebuild their apiaries.”
A Ukrainian Soldier moving a Hive to a safe location.
The honeybees for the beekeeper bring a sense of peace and distraction whilst a war rages on around him. He sells his honey to many villagers and his friends. He’ll even give honey to people who have nothing and are desperate. His honey is also given to the soldiers as the pass through for supplies and help. “Money doesn’t mean much here anymore.” He tells me. So, he finds funding his bees very tough at times, as he needs to buy varroa treatment for his bees, wax and other equipment. With that in mind Beekeeping for Hope sent him and his family some well needed money to help. This money will help his bees and family in this tough time. So on behalf of the beekeeper, I thank everyone who supports us and everyone who has purchased a jar of our honey.
THE ASIAN HORNET
I asked the Beekeeper about the impact of the Asian Hornet (Vespa Velutina), and he says “Yes we have the hornet here in the Ukraine, and each year it becomes more of a problem. My bees also face attacks from the Vespa Germanica (German Wasp). To combat them I put up bait traps.”
I’ll leave you with this.
The Beekeeper: “All the time is tension, then an air alarm, then Russian MiGs fly above us for 3 hours. We do not know what awaits us at that moment. At first, we hid in basements, but now somehow we got used to it. Although it is scary for both myself and my relatives. My 92-year-old grandmother still lives with us. She doesn't walk on her own, I immediately carry her on my shoulders to the basement, and then she says that it's fine, but she's really old. I feel sorry for her. I must protect my family.”
“It's our life now.”
