Athens, Greece (AP) – Nikos Chacilias is doing his days Bee colony There is a unique view on the rooftop of the Greek capital.
He is one of dozens of Athenians. Accepted urban beekeeping To support the local ecosystem, reconnect with nature and enjoy honey seasoned with local plants and flowers from each region.
The 37-year-old Chatzilias was a heavy honey consumer who had been drinking bread and tea for breakfast and using it to replace sugar everywhere else, including cookies and other sweets. He grew up unhappy with Run of the Mill products, signed up for a beekeeping class in 2020 and decided to become an expert soon after.
“I saw it really worked for hives. For us, daily contact with bees brought us a lot of joy, so we continued,” he said.
This summer, Chatzirious looked after 30 hives on roofs in seven Athens regions, including those with views of the Parthenon. About 1.2 million bees in his hive produced 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of honey. Big brown bear. Each batch was packaged and named after its neighborhood of origin.
He explained that the different flavors of Athenian honey come from the proportions of eucalyptus, acacia and bitter oranges, as well as other flora, which are present in different parts of the city. On the south coast, for example, pine trees give you a forest-like note.
City beekeeping is not new in the world, in Athens or in the world. Decades ago, Greek families brought hives when they moved out of the countryside. But Chatzirious believes that beekeeping today is more intentional and focuses on environmental impacts that resonate with society as a whole.
One of Chatzirias’s recent recruits, Agrina Chatzista Blue, fell in love with a bee for the first time while she was a college student.
“I really liked the idea of having my own,” she said on the rooftop overlooking the Acropolis. “We believe that if anyone can have a hive in their open space at home, it will significantly change our environment.”
Despite growing interest, becoming a beekeeper can be stopped by objections from fellow apartment residents. City beekeeping requires the spring and again to carry heavy hives up the roof stairs before winter begins.
“They might stab me, my child, my dog. What if I’m allergic to them?” “In general, for urban people – they’ve been blocked from nature for many years, so even the natural things that happen can cause fear.”
The constant bloom cycle of Athens, a variety of pollinator-friendly plants, makes this an ideal environment for experimenting with leaving bees on roofs all year round, which is what they’ve been doing this year for the first time.
“The chaotic urban environments we created, nature, or even the things that remain in the city can still respond and give life,” Chatzirious said.
