A fascination that carries on
Philipp’s grandmother once continued the apiary of his great-grandfather. Even as a child, Philipp always wanted to hear more about the lives of bees. Many years later, he and his son Johannes established an apiary of their own in Kassel and northern Hesse.
Today, we tend our colonies ourselves and handle their honey from comb to jar. We keep the harvests from our different sites separate. Our daily work shows us how differently a bee’s year can unfold from one place to another — and how many questions remain even after years of observation.
Why this website begins with a story
“Three Lives. One Colony.” tells the story of worker, queen and drone. Their first-person voices make their paths through life accessible. They are a narrative approach; they do not tell us what bees feel. Biological explanations explore the connections more deeply, describing typical processes and their limits.
In the knowledge section, verifiable statements and expert sources take centre stage. Honey bees are an introduction to a wider world. Wild bees, pollination and habitats belong here too. Our aim is for curiosity to lead beyond the story.
Four websites with different purposes
Bienenleben.info is our platform for stories, knowledge, nature and education. At Honig-aus-Kassel.de, you can find our honeys and information about buying them. Welterbe-Honig.de tells the story of their origin in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe. Honig-aus-Nordhessen.de introduces the regional origins and landscapes.
These websites belong together, but have different focuses. On Bienenleben, reading and understanding should stand on their own. A route to another website follows from a topic, not an obligation to buy.
Questions and feedback
Do you have a question about bees, a comment on a source or an interest in a talk? Write to us at lecker@welterbe-honig.de. For events, details of the group, location and preferred period are helpful.
Johannes and Philipp Ballier · Kassel. Full operator and contact details are provided in the legal notice.