Almost 1,000 bee colonies have arrived in Prague over the past three years, and there are over 800 beekeepers
There are more than 800 beekeepers in Prague who keep almost 6,500 bee colonies. Over the past three years, approximately 1,000 of them have arrived in the capital. Most often, people keep bees in older family houses, for example in Troja, Libni and Dejvice. So-called rooftop beekeeping is also appearing in cities. The Rooftop Beekeepers Club estimates that approximately 50 companies and public institutions keep bees on the roofs of their residences, 16 of which are in Prague, reports the State Veterinary Administration (SVS).
On the roof of its premises in Vinohrady, Prague, the Veterinary Administration of Breeding Bees has been checking for five years in cooperation with the State Veterinary Institute Prague (SVÚ) whether honey from “veterinary bees” meets all the parameters set by the decree of the Ministry of Agriculture. “The presence of heavy metals and even pesticide residues was not detected in the honey,” said Jan Rosmus from the chemistry department of SVÚ Prague. Laboratory tests turned out the same as in 2019.
The roof bee project of the Veterinary Administration is intended to serve research and educational purposes. This year, approximately 70 kilograms of honey were produced. The Prague municipality or the National Agricultural Museum on Letná also keep bees on the roof of their building on Mariánské náměstí.
Last year, according to data from the Czech Statistical Office, 6,086 tons of honey were produced in the Czech Republic from 661,000 bee colonies. In the Czech Republic, there is a long-term average of eight bee colonies per square kilometer and the number of bee colonies is not decreasing.
advertisement