Ideal collection conditions for bees
Goni beekeepers are happy with the good honey harvest
11/22/2025 – 08:07Reading time: 2 minutes
Beekeepers in Hesse are delighted with an unusually good honey harvest this year. The weather affects them.
Beekeepers in Hesse had an excellent honey harvest this year. 41.4 kilograms of honey were obtained per bee colony – 11 kilograms more than in the previous year’s rainy season, the specialist bee and apiculture center in Mayen announced on Saturday. Nearly 1,300 Hessian beekeepers took part in a fundamental survey on early and summer beekeeping – the two annual harvests. In total there are more than 13,000 beekeepers in the state.
Weather plays an important role in the hands of beekeepers. The combination of sunlight and sufficient humidity allows plants to grow and flower well. Christoph Otten, head of the specialist centre, explains: “Due to the weather, there are ideal bee collection conditions in many areas.”
The price of a 500 gram bottle of flower honey in Germany rose by around three percent to 6.60 euros. Otten sees this development as positive: “Considering the high costs, this is a moderate increase.”
Beekeepers must cover various costs themselves – for example for glasses, mite treatment, fuel and feed. The bees receive a type of sugar water to replace the honey they have extracted. Honey prices vary depending on the region and variety. The price of honey in big cities is more expensive than in rural areas, and varietal honey is more expensive than flower honey.
There are approximately 1.2 million honey bee colonies throughout Germany. According to the German Beekeepers Association, their production accounts for only half of honey consumption. The other half is imported from EU countries such as Romania and from other countries such as Argentina and China. On average, every German citizen consumes about one kilo of honey every year.
Most beekeepers practice beekeeping as a hobby, but only a few are professional beekeepers. German honey is mainly sold at weekly markets, on doorsteps or at work when recreational beekeepers take their honey to the office and sell it to colleagues.
