A Home for
Busy Bees

Beecause little
things matter

Since April 2025, Queen Bee Resi Keller I. and her royal court have found a new home near our logistics center. Now it’s buzzing with life every single day, thanks to the perfect location: fresh water nearby, plenty of blossoms all around, and just the right amount of shade at midday. Together with the local beekeepers’ association, we set up two handcrafted beehives. In summer, up to 40,000 hardworking bees live there, caring for their queen and bringing vibrant life to our grounds.

Among the roughly 600 bee species native to Germany, our hives are home to the Buckfast bee. This breed of honeybee is known for being especially gentle and industrious—a tradition of breeding that began more than 100 years ago at Buckfast Abbey in England.

A Give and Take

Bees are indispensable to nature. More than three-quarters of all crops and cultivated plants in Europe depend on their pollination. Without them, we would have far less fruit, vegetables, nuts, and oils.

With our own beekeeping project, we want to give something back. We provide these little helpers with a safe place to thrive and support a healthy ecosystem. And everyone can do their part: plant flowers in your garden or on your balcony, avoid chemical pesticides, and put out a small dish of water with stones on hot days.

For us, gardening is a hobby. For bees, honey production is hard labor. To fill just one jar of honey, a single bee flies about 75,000 miles. Over the course of a year, one colony can produce between 20 and 30 kilograms of honey. How much actually ends up in the hive depends on the weather and the variety of blossoms.

Life in the Hive

Inside the hive, there is a clear division of roles. The queen lays eggs to ensure the next generation. Fertilized eggs develop into worker bees, while unfertilized eggs become drones. The workers take on different tasks depending on their age: young bees clean the cells and feed the brood; later they build combs, care for the queen, collect nectar, pollen, and water, or guard the colony. Drones have only one purpose—to mate with a foreign queen. By late summer, their time in the hive ends, and they are driven out.

This perfectly coordinated teamwork is something our #TEAMRK can now witness every day right here in Kleinheubach.