Commitment to Bees and Biodiversity

Bees make the world go round.

A world without bees would be unthinkable for our biological diversity and, ultimately, for our survival.

The bee colony collects honey from the open combs | mey®

The example of bees makes the importance of biodiversity tangible and easy to understand. A world without bees would be unthinkable for our biodiversity. Bees are of great importance, and their pollination services are indispensable. In recent years, bees have therefore increasingly become an indicator of the health of our environment. Right on our doorstep in Albstadt, we are therefore committed to promoting biodiversity and a thriving habitat for insects through our own bee project.

Our Home for Bee Colonies: The FRANZ Bee Project

Since April 2018, there has been more buzzing and humming around our company grounds in Albstadt than ever before. The reason for this is our bee project FRANZ, named after our company founder Franz Mey, who was a beekeeper himself. The project is made possible by the dedication of our beekeeper Paul Maier, who took a beekeeping course specifically for this purpose and has created a home for our bee colonies.

Because agricultural activity in the Albstadt area has been greatly reduced, there is virtually no pest control in the region—making it a particularly suitable habitat for bees. Our bee colonies are housed in magazine hives made of untreated wood on Dietmar Mey’s neighboring flower meadow, where they gather nectar from the wide variety of flowers surrounding our company grounds.

We are deliberately not focusing on honey yield: With the FRANZ project, our primary goal is to contribute to the preservation of pollination services and the protection of local species. To this end, we have created a perennial flower strip covering 1,600 m² (10 meters wide and 160 meters long), which not only benefits our honeybees but also expands the food supply for other insects in the surrounding area.

A beekeeper in white protective clothing removes a honeycomb frame from a beehive | mey®

A beekeeper in white protective gear removes a honeycomb frame from the beehive | mey®

BEE HAPPY with mey.

Did you know that during our bee campaign last year, “bee happy—Bee Hotels,” we were able to provide a home for about 50,000 wild bees?

Wild bees are excellent pollinators. They work every day to make our world a little better. We encounter the fruits of their labor every day. Out in nature, they carry out this task without us humans really noticing.

A home for four bee colonies

Since April 2018, the buzz and hum around our company grounds in Albstadt (Germany) has been louder than ever before. The reason for this is our beekeeping project FRANZ (our company’s founder, Franz Mey, was a beekeeper), which we are dedicating to our company founder just in time for his 90th birthday. The project is made possible in particular by the dedication of our beekeeper, Paul Maier, who took a beekeeping course specifically for this purpose. With great dedication, Paul has created a home for our four bee colonies. Due to the significant decline in agriculture in the Albstadt area, virtually no pest control takes place here in the region—making it the perfect habitat for the bees.

Our bee colony is housed in magazine hives made of untreated wood on Dietmar Mey’s neighboring flower meadow and has since been collecting the nectar needed for honey from the wide variety of flowers surrounding our company grounds. We keep our bees not so much for the honey yield, but rather because, through our FRANZ project, we want to contribute to preserving pollination services and protecting local species.

That is why we have already created a perennial flower strip covering 1,600 m² (10 meters wide and 160 meters long), which not only benefits our honeybees but also expands and increases the food supply for various local insects.

The six beehives at mey are lined up in pairs on the meadow in Lautlingen, Germany | mey®

Good to Know: Why Bees Are So Important

Bees contribute more to our diet and well-being than many other animal species. A large proportion of native cultivated and wild plants depend on pollination by bees—including numerous types of fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, apples, cherries, cucumbers, and pumpkins. Honeybees and wild bees play a vital role in preserving our plant diversity.

Even on a small scale, there are things you can do to help bees: Even a single flower box on your balcony or windowsill can provide food for bees and other insects.