Honey Harvest Above the City | Województwo Kujawsko-Pomorskie

The first honey harvest of the year took place today on the roof of the Marshal’s Office in Toruń. From five beehives, home to approximately 120,000 honey bees, nearly 100 kilograms of high-quality multifloral honey will be collected. The event was attended by Marshal Piotr Całbecki, who has been a beekeeper for many years and maintains his own apiary. Representatives of local media also took an active part in the honey harvest.

“The beehives on the roof of the Marshal’s Office have served above all an educational purpose for the past twelve years,” emphasised Marshal Piotr Całbecki. “We want to remind people of the vital role bees play in our ecosystem. Without them, maintaining the balance of nature and producing many kinds of food would not be possible. We also demonstrate that cities can provide a bee-friendly environment and that the honey produced here is of the highest quality.”

Under the guidance of Marshal Piotr Całbecki and beekeeper Tomasz Paul, journalists had the opportunity to remove honey frames from the hives themselves and learn how to work safely with bees during the harvesting process. They also observed the inside of a hive, including the work of the worker bees, the storage of nectar and pollen, and the functioning of the entire bee colony.

The caretaker of the Marshal’s Office apiary, Tomasz Paul from Gniewkowo (Inowrocław County), explained that this year’s season had been particularly challenging. Although the bees began collecting nectar intensively as early as mid-April, frosts at the beginning of May significantly slowed the development of the colonies. Conditions improved only in June, when favourable weather enabled the bees to forage intensively and build up their honey reserves.

The five hives are expected to produce just under 100 kilograms of multifloral honey, derived mainly from maple nectar, with smaller amounts of lime and acacia nectar than in previous years. The honey is regularly tested by the relevant authorities and consistently receives excellent quality assessments. Honey from the Marshal’s Office apiary is packaged in commemorative jars and presented as one of the regional gifts promoting the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region. During the active season, the bees are not fed with sugar or sugar syrup.

For many years, the regional self-government has supported the beekeeping community, recognising its crucial role in protecting biodiversity, maintaining ecological balance, and supporting agriculture and fruit growing across the region. Thanks to the work of beekeepers and their bees, effective pollination is possible, ensuring the proper functioning of many ecosystems.

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