Beehive with observing beehive and bees –
At the Embassy of Slovenia in Prague garden, we have a two-storey beehive, a gift from the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association. In June 2020, we settled two bee colonies in the apiary. One colony consists of one queen, up to 60,000 bees, and a few hundred to a few thousand broods
Text: H.E. Mrs. Tanja Strniša, Slovenian Ambassador to the Czech Republic and her husband Mr. Anton Strniša; Photo: Archive
World Bee Day and Slovenia
Did you know that it was Slovenia who proposed that the 20th of May be celebrated as World Bee Day? It happened on December 2017 at the United Nations, and the proposal was unanimously approved by all UN member states. World Bee Day was initiated by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association, and enjoyed immense support from the Republic of Slovenia’s government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The date was chosen to honour Anton Janša, a Slovenian pioneer of modern apiculture, who was born on May 20th. Nowadays, World Bee Day is an important event that educates the public about the role of bees and the threats they face. It is celebrated globally to raise awareness about the importance of bees and their habitats. World Bee Day provides an opportunity for governments, organizations, and concerned citizens to promote actions that protect and enhance pollinators, improve their abundance and diversity, and support the sustainable development of agriculture. With the support of Apimondia (The International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations) and the United Nations, World Bee Day highlights the significance of bees for food security, climate change mitigation, environmental conservation, and human well-being.
Nature and bees are one
Bees play a critical role in pollinating crops and wild plants, which is essential to maintaining biodiversity and food security. Bees and other pollinators are significant to our livelihood, as they help pollinate most of the crops that we consume. However, the bee population has been declining in recent years due to a variety of factors, including habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.
Without bees, we would not be able to solve the widespread issues of hunger and poverty. The celebration of World Bee Day encourages every concerned citizen and environmentalist to help protect bees and their habitats. It is important to support beekeeping and conservation efforts in order to maintain a healthy and sustainable environment for both humans and other species.
Save the bees!
We need bees, so do your part in protecting them. Some examples of what you can do to help:
- Plant flowers in your garden, balcony, and / or on your windowsill
- Buy raw honey from local beekeepers
- Avoid using pesticides in your gardens
- Let the plants in your garden grow, avoid cutting them too short
- Raise awareness and share this information within your community
Bees also have a very significant role at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Prague, as they have lived in a traditional Slovenian beehive in the garden for over two years now. More specifically, it is Carniolan bees, from Slovenia, which are housed there. The bees at the Embassy are tended to by the Ambassador’s spouse, Anton Strniša, who has educated himself in beekeeping for this sole purpose.
In the past few years, it has also become a tradition to celebrate the Slovenian Traditional Honey Breakfast, which consists of fresh bread, butter, milk, apples and, of course, honey. Every year it falls on the third Friday in November. The Deputy Ambassador, Nika Rotar, has been educating children about the importance of bees for the world through the medium of the honey breakfast in different schools in Prague. These are our small but important steps for the protection and well- being of bees.
