Bees are valuable pollinators whose importance to both agriculture and biodiversity is irreplaceable. The national pollinator strategy and action plan, published by the Ministry of the Environment, are important steps towards securing the future of pollinators and pollination in Finland.
The goal of the strategy is to stop the decrease in the number and diversity of pollinators by 2030, strengthen pollinator populations and secure the pollination of natural and cultivated plants. The action plan contains 27 measures that focus on improving pollinator habitats, responsible use of domesticated pollinators, improving research and monitoring data, and communication and advice.
Beekeeping is a key part of this strategy. Beekeeping is an important part of the protection and maintenance of pollinators, and securing it in the future is essential for agriculture and biodiversity. The Ministry of the Environment has taken this into account and strives in many ways to ensure the benefits and continuity of the apiary.
One key means is promoting the safe use of cultivated pollinators. This includes, among other things, improving the health, well-being and productivity of honeybees, and promoting the responsible use and import of honeybees. In addition, the training of beekeepers is strengthened and honey quality control is developed.
Another important aspect is the consideration of wild pollinators and the improvement of their habitats. This means, among other things, improving the habitats and living conditions of endangered and common pollinators, as well as improving research and monitoring information about pollinators. In addition, a survey of the location and number of shelter bee hives will be started, on the basis of which a recommendation will be drawn up for sustainable hive densities that do not cause harm to natural pollinators.
In addition, the challenges brought by climate change and their impact on beekeeping are taken seriously. Efforts are being made to prepare for the threats posed by climate change to beekeeping and develop sustainable solutions that enable the continuity of beekeeping and maintain agricultural pollination services while taking wild pollinators into account.
With the help of these measures, the Ministry of the Environment aims to ensure the benefits and continuity of the apiary in the future, while promoting sustainable development and environmental protection.
Beekeeping is more than just a hobby for Hunaja Hetke - it is a professional activity that requires commitment and deep understanding. Where is the line between hobby and professional beekeeping in beekeeping?
The professional constantly strives to develop his skills and understanding of the field. Continuous education is an essential part of professionalism and it helps us stay up to date with the latest developments and innovations in our field. The professional stays up-to-date on industry developments and actively participates in industry events and networking events. Utilizing new innovations and research results is part of a professional's activities.
Scale and resources vary between hobby and professional beekeeping. Professionalism often takes place on a larger scale and requires resources such as premises, equipment and manpower. The operation is planned and implemented responsibly and efficiently.
Professionalism in beekeeping is emphasized in the commitment to the well-being and health of the pollinators. Investing time and resources in the care, hygiene and nutrition of the bees ensures the best possible habitat for the bees. Our company is strongly committed to sustainable beekeeping.
The sustainable future of beekeeping is built in cooperation with the environment and society. Responsible beekeeping offers high-quality honey to consumers while safeguarding the well-being of pollinators and biodiversity. With the cooperation of the Ministry of the Environment and professionals, sustainable solutions are created that promote the well-being of both the apiary and the environment in the future.
Sources:
National pollinator strategy and action plan
We are a domestic small company whose passion is Finnish nature, the care of bees and all the good things that these hardworking little workers offer us. For years, we have carefully raised our bees and refined their products, offering our customers only the best quality. Now we are looking for new partners who share our passion and want to be involved in spreading the magic of bees all over Finland.
Our selection includes high-quality, handmade products that are made with a lot of heart and responsibility. You can familiarize yourself with our products in our online store www.hunajahetki.fi We offer, among other things:
We are looking for retailers who are equally eager to offer their customers high-quality, sustainable products. If you have a shop, cafe, deli, cosmetics store or other business that appreciates domestic craftsmanship and naturalness, contact us! We want to hear more about you and how we could work together.
When you join our partner, you not only get access to a unique product selection, but also our support in marketing and product presentation. We believe in strong cooperation and want to make sure that both we and our dealers are successful.
Don't miss this opportunity. Become part of our growing family and help spread the good news of beehive products! We look forward to hearing from you.
Contact us: info@hunajahetki.fi | 0442475773
Welcome to join us in creating a greener and healthier tomorrow - together!
When the last remnants of winter melt and the first spring flowers peek out of the ground, nature comes alive again. This is a time that brings new hope and new opportunities – not just for us humans, but also for bee colonies that have survived a long and cold winter. Spring is a critical season for bees and beekeepers; it is a time when the apiary lives and breathes in an atmosphere of renewal.
The first warm days of spring mark the beginning of awakening and active activity for the bee colony. The bees, who have spent the winter in a cluster to keep each other warm, are now starting to leave the hive in search of the first sources of pollen and honey. This is the time when the bee shows us its incredible adaptability and zest for life.
Spring is an equally busy time for beekeepers. After winter, it is important to check the condition of beehives and make sure that the colonies have enough resources to continue growing. The beekeeper monitors the health of the hives, adds additional space for the queen to lay eggs as needed, and ensures that the bees have access to sufficient sources of pollen and honey.
The splendor of spring flowers is not only for the pleasure of the human eye; they are vital for bees, who collect pollen and nectar from them. Early spring flowers such as snowdrops, crocuses and dandelions are the first food sources for bees. This season highlights the unique relationship between bees and plants – a symbiosis that supports ecosystem diversity and productivity.
In the spring, beekeepers utilize sustainable practices to ensure that bees can continue their work for the ecosystem. This means using organic methods in pest control, planting versatile plants as food sources for bees and actively monitoring the health of bee colonies.
Spring in the apiary teaches us adaptability, renewal and the importance of cooperation. Bees, these small but extremely important creatures, remind us of the cycle of nature and how precious every part of the ecosystem is.
A sunny spring with no hope Honey Moment ladies!
What is the sure sign of a beekeeper? Well, of course, the first flying bees and the sun's rays. However, there is no reason to rush and you should give the bees peace. However, in Hämeenlinna, certain shelters are located in such a warm place that we could guess when the meter showed plus four degrees, that there have been flies in the yard. The other week we went to check the condition of the bees at the first hives. It is important to check that the bees can fly out of the hive, that there is enough food, and if you find dead nests, it is good to close their flight openings so that possible diseases do not spread to nests in the surrounding area.
Luckily for us, the nests looked good. Now it's been a very cold winter, which has happened to be during our nursery, so I'm worried about how the bees are doing. Fortunately, however, the cold is not a problem for nests from the start, as long as the nest is strong enough to maintain heat.
What can cause nest death outside the flight season. If we start in the fall, the first problem in the fall is the mite, if the mite population is large and the bees do not get healthy winter bees and the winter is challenging. The nest can die if the caretaker does not have time to make preventive measures. Especially if the ticks have time to cause diseases such as wing rot in the nests, the game is quite possibly lost. The second is the robbing of nests, i.e. one nest robs another weaker nest, in which case the nest goes weak against the winter or dies of hunger, even before winter. At this point, however, the keeper must monitor the behavior of the nests and minimize robbery with his actions. For example, don't leave honey near the hives. Then come the bears. Bears destroy nests in winter before hibernation and in spring when they wake up very hungry. Bears search the nests for larvae for protein and honey. Bears are a big and growing problem in bee farms. When spring comes, gray-headed woodpeckers can also make holes in nests and destroy even a strong nest even in one day. After woodpeckers, ants are also very bad and destroy even a strong nest in one or two days. In other words, nests can also die due to external factors. A bad bee population or a bad queen can also lead to the death of the hive. In spring, you can also find so-called buzzard nests, when the mother lays no more eggs than boys, i.e. buzzards. In this case, the condition of the nest begins to decline when no new workers are born in the nest, which would take care of and promote the condition and growth of the nest. It is therefore important to monitor the health of the queen bee as well.
The topic went to the beehives, but now that the food situation of the bees has been observed, we look at the bees' adequate food supply and wait for warm weather, that the willow will start to bloom and the bees will be able to collect pollen and honey for food. In this way, the nests begin to hatch and grow little by little until the summer, so that the nest is strong enough when the honey collection season starts.
The work trip started yesterday with a meeting in Tampere and this morning we had a wonderful opportunity in the small parliament of the parliament building when Noora Fagerström invited us to hear about entrepreneurship. Noora told about the current government program and in general we talked about entrepreneurship, what should be taken into account, what kind of values entrepreneurs should have and other wonderful things that we entrepreneurs should be aware of and take into account in our daily activities.
Hunaja Hetki is a strongly growing company and there have been more setbacks than you dare say out loud. However, adversity has always been overcome. Belief in what you do, customer feedback, other entrepreneurs around you and quality products are things that are great to work for. Above all, however, the fact that we do this together as friends, business colleagues, female entrepreneurs gives us the will and strength to keep going! The current situation is something that is on the surface and we at Hunaja Hetke would very much like that the issues of employees and entrepreneurs could be moved forward together and we would get a solution to things without a strike. We entrepreneurs are going through very difficult times. First came the corona, the war, then the electricity crisis and many, many other things that affect our operations. Not to mention the personal adversities that have been enough along the way.
Entrepreneurship is hard work, but being an employee is also hard work, because we too have been employees before becoming entrepreneurs. Part of the reason why we have become entrepreneurs has been the poor conditions of the employees. It would be so wonderful if we could find a balance for these in Finland. How could we move things forward together so that it is not on the other side, but on the contrary. Without entrepreneurs there are no jobs and without jobs there are no entrepreneurs.
Hunaja Hetki is at the point where we have hired help for seasonal work and the goal is to continue to employ workers during the season, but also to hire a full-time employee for our team. Hiring an employee is a big step and requires a lot of work. It's great that with your own entrepreneurship you can do work and also hire labor and thus create more jobs in Finland. However, it is not an easy step, because you never know what will happen and what kind of day tomorrow will be.
So what concerns do we have? For example, our fair season starts at the same time as this strike. The work of weeks, if not months, has been done for a long time. The working time can no longer be changed or canceled, because it is work done, but the trade fair may or may not be canceled, but will the customers be able to attend. We ourselves have paid for the fair place, made the products, advertised and so on. Now we are talking about one trade fair, but what if there are several events and everyone is fighting for people's purchasing power and when purchasing power weakens, as I mentioned before, e.g. because of the corona virus, the war and the rise in the price of electricity. Companies have already gone bankrupt and will continue to do so, but how could we handle the matter so that bankruptcies and similar challenges could be minimized and would not cause more harm to the situations ourselves. Our own luck at this point is that our products are not easily perishable and the sales period is much longer, but what about the companies whose products are perishable?
We don't have the answers ourselves and how everything should be handled. It is difficult to choose sides in different situations, which is good and which is bad. However, we will monitor the situation, if it doesn't appear in our sale otherwise. The invoices won't stop coming, even if the sales don't come.
We wish everyone a happy spring and a better tomorrow!
Jemina and Elisa