DOLOMIA FOR THE BEES
Bees: precious insects which need our help
We’re so used to seeing bees in beehives, we forget they are actually wild animals. Over the past 35 years, however, due to natural calamities such as the Varroa destructor (a parasitic mite) and man’s actions which are wreaking havoc on their ecosystem, wild bee colonies are gradually disappearing. This insect, which is so important to our natural environment, desperately needs our help to survive.
Let’s not forget that without bees, pollination would decrease drastically, plants would reproduce less and less and then die out, leaving animals without a source of sustenance.
Our commitment
A couple of years ago we started studying this issue and the problems linked to it in more depth and decided to launch a project to protect bees and give them the conditions they need to thrive.
In May 2021 we installed beehives in our Experimental Garden around the company to house six families (around 200,000 bees).
Alongside our existing plants, we cleared three hectares and sowed a mixture of thirty species which flower at different times of the year, providing a constant source of food for them.
We also introduced more traditional haymaking practices, which means the grass in our meadows is cut fewer times during the year, in tune with the rhythm of nature.
Finally, we have entered into an agreement with other companies and people in the area to create similar gardens to ours in fields where corn was previously cultivated, allowing us to double the hectares of land dedicated to this type of sowing.
In just 18 months these actions have attracted more than ten new bee families. In the meantime, we have studied sustainable beekeeping methods and practices so we can raise awareness amongst other organisations who can look after these new families and work with us to develop this worthwhile project.
How bees can help us
We look after the bees and make sure they have enough food to get them through the cold winter months, harvesting only the excess honey and substances they produce in the hive.
Thanks to this sustainable harvesting method, the substances we obtain are pure, nutritious and beneficial and their scientific properties are being studied closely in our laboratories. This will enable us to extract the most beneficial elements from the bees’ production, while respecting and improving the conditions of this marvellous insect, which is so important for the health of our planet.