Albanian Beekeepers Having A 'Golden Year' Due To Coronavirus Lockdown

May 24, 2020

One of the largest bee farms in Albania say this has been a "golden year" for bees thanks to a break from pollution and pesticides.

bees thriving during pandemic
AFP Photo / Gent SHKULLAKU

With factories and farms silenced by the coronavirus shutdown, Albania's bees have been busier than ever.

"It's a golden year for bees," says 68-year-old Gezim Skermo, a beekeeper at the Morava bee farm.

During his 50 years in beekeeping, Skermo says he has "never seen a season like this," hailing it as "rebirth for nature and the bees".

The beekeeper attributes the sudden buzz to the coronavirus measures. The restrictions have brought quiet, cleaner air and less pesticide-spraying from farmers.

"This year we didn't have any losses, unlike in previous years when we found dead bees in front of the hives," said Skermo. "There was no noise, no pollution, nothing that could disturb them".

The Morava farm normally produces between 5 and 15 tonnes of honey a year.

Although Skermo refuses to give specific figures on how much honey will be produced this season, he insists the yield will be abundant and of the highest quality.

"While people have been shut up at home, the bees have not been confined," he said. "They have been working very hard."