Black and yellow ecology: Bees on the roof of elobau

The company bees at elobau fondly referred to as “elobees”, have been collecting pollen and nectar on the fields and grasslands around Leutkirch since 2018. The elobau employees have now collected this year’s harvest: 80 kg of honey, filled into 300 jars. All proceeds of the limited edition of honey will be donated to the elobau foundation. 

The company roof of elobau is bustling with activity: Around 150,000 bees have found their new home at these lofty heights. “Sustainability is a matter dear to my heart. That includes the conservation of nature and its species. With the establishment of the bee colonies on the factory roof, we have taken a small but important step in taking responsibility for our environment,” says Michael Hetzer, spokesman of elobau’s management.

The “Save the bees” referendum in Bavaria has been an eye-opener for many. Bees are critical to our ecological system. According to the German Beekeepers Association, insects are responsible for pollinating around 80% of all flowering plant species. As a pollinator, the bee is a main contributor to maintaining the flora and thus ensuring that blossoms turn into apples and pears. As a result, elobau is passionate about actively supporting bee conservation.

Optimal living conditions in Alpine foothills of Allgäu

It all started in 2018 with a single colony. This has now grown to five colonies. Located on the roof of Plant 2, they are all tended to by professionals. Beekeeper Thomas Garmel expertly looks after the colonies through the year. And care is taken to ensure that the living conditions of the bees are good: Thanks to the vegetated roof garden and the surrounding grasslands of the Alpine foothills, the bees have the best possible conditions to make their collections.

When the bees’ busy time comes to a close in late summer, beekeeper Garmel can count on the hands-on support of numerous elobau employees, who help to uncap the combs and extract the honey. The harvest can vary significantly depending on the weather and flowering: This year, the hard-working collectors have harvested 80 kilograms of honey. The liquid gold is manually filled into jars by the elobau employees and labelled. The occasion is both enjoyable and high-spirited. The employees at elobau can now buy a 250 g jar of limited honey edition 2020 for five euros. All proceeds will be donated to the elobau foundation.

Projects of the elobau foundation

The “elobees” initiative and other projects of the elobau foundation are generating sustainable synergies for the region and beyond. The flowering campaign initially resulted in the blooming of fields near Plant 2, to the benefit of the elobees. The “Citizens’ campaign: Blooming Gardens” has now been extended.  Seedlings for 800,000 m² have been provided to the district of Ravensburg. The initiative has been awarded the “UN Decade Project for Biodiversity” seal.