At home with bees
In his garden near Bonn, Friedel Mirbach keeps hives with around 300,000 honey bees. He has been fascinated by the stripy insects since he was a boy. The garden is full of plants that provide them with food.
The bee-keeper's garden
In Germany there are around 750,000 colonies of honey bees. Friedel Mirbach has 7 hives in his garden, around 300,000 insects. They provide him with honey and pollinate the plants.
Getting close to bees - behind glass
Some of Mirbach's bees live a very public life in these show-cases. This gives children and other interested visitors the chance to find out all about them without worrying about getting stung.
A sneaky trick?
Friedel Mirbach uses a 'smoker' to make the bees think there is a fire. They suck up as much honey as they can for later, which slows them down. Then the beekeeper can open up the hive without being attacked.
Nectar, wax and honey
The bee-keeper pulls out a honeycomb. The bees have become lethargic and do not object. We can take a close look at the comb and its little residents.
A hive of gold
"This is part of the brood nest. You can see where the honey is stored. Have a taste! Warm, runny, delicious", says Mirbach. When some of the honey drops out, these female worker bees are there straight away. They suck up the honey and take it back in to store it in the cell.
The swarm
During the summer the bee colonies split up. The queen bee flies off with some of the others. This swarm of bees has landed in an apple tree while they search for a new home. The garden-owner is flabbergasted and calls beekeeper Mirbach for help.
A shower for the bees?
The bee expert sprays the insects with water to discourage them from flying at him. Mirbach does not believe in wearing protective clothing. One or two stings are no problem for him. He says the beekeepers have bred agressive traits out of the bees over the last few decades.
Bed and breakfast in the apple tree
With hundreds of bees buzzing around him, Friedel Mirbach hangs a "hotel box" in the tree. Once the queen flies in to the temporary nest, the others will follow. The box will stay in the tree all night, until the last stragglers have found their way in. Then they will be taken to a local beekeepeer, who will offer them a new home.
Bees help the fruit harvest
On this grassland orchard, the farmer asked a local bee-keeper to set up some hives. The bees make sure the cherry trees are pollinated. Once they have started on a particular type of fruit, the busy insects keep going until their work is done.
Not just for honey bees
Wild bees, bumblebees and other insects also play a role in pollinating fruit and vegetable plants. As well as the honey-bee hives, Mirbach has provide nesting sites for all sort of other insects. His recommendation: every garden should provide space for wild insects. The reward is a lasting supply of pollinated flowers and other plants.