Holzen Educational apairy

In cooperation with Ehingen Beekeepers' Association, the Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk and the Meitingen secondary school, the hive has been renovated and now serves as an information centre with its educational panels. The aim is to familiarise visitors with the life of the animals and explain the benefits to mankind.

Our honeybees

Bees live together in a colony, led by the queen bee. The 30.000 - 60.0000 worker bees go through a kind of "career ladder" - similar to that of us humans - starting as a cleaner bee, then becoming a nurse to the larvae and finally a master builder. These master builders are responsible for processing the pollen into honey or the coveted royal jelly. But not only these two products can be obtained from the honeycombs. For example, there is also propolis and beeswax as a yield. Our honey is available at the hotel reception and in the monastery shop.

Information for young and old

The Holzen educational bee trail is designed to familiarise people with the importance of bees and the work they do. On the way to the beehive, information about bees, beekeeping and honey production can be gathered from educational boards. There is a camera in the hive itself that shows life in the beehive. Let yourself be carried away into the exciting world of bees ...

Bee Betta for the home

Our Pixi booklet: "Betta the monastery bee - a story about a hard-working and clever bee" brings this important topic closer to even the youngest children. How about some new reading material to take home? The booklet is available for € 1 at our hotel reception. Or would you like to prefer something fluffy? You can also get our Betta bee as a cuddly key ring for € 6.50 at the reception.

Honey production process

Bees collect nectar or honeydew.
When they collect it, they enrich it with enzyms.
The hive bees process the collected material by chewing and storing it.
After storage, the bees repeatedly check wether the honey is ripe.
Once it has reached a certain maturity, the honeycomb cells containing the honey are sealed with thin wax caps.
Honey is only harvested when it conatains less than 18% water.

Harvesting usually takes place from the second half of july.
The honeycomb cells are carefully removed, the wax layer is removed and the honey can be extracted from the comb cells.
The beekeeper stirs the honey so that it does not crystallise.
The honey is filled into jars.