“Mission forward” is the motto of the red-white-red armed forces, but also of the Armed Forces-bees: A total of 20 organic bee colonies live in the Maria Theresa barracks in Vienna and produce around 1,000 kilograms of organic honey every year. The location of the barracks in the 13th district is of great importance for the Schönbrunn district: the bees pollinate numerous plants and flowers.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner: “Bees are not only extremely important for the environment, but also for us humans. By providing bees with a habitat, we are giving something back to nature and counteracting the extinction of species. Through our initiatives such as flowering meadows, we are not only promoting biodiversity, but also climate protection.”
The beehives are inhabited by the organic bee breed “Carnica”. The bee population increases from spring to the summer solstice. During this time, the colony grows to around one million bees. The life expectancy of summer bees is around five weeks. Winter bees hatch in the fall and live for up to nine months. The queen bee lays up to 2,000 eggs a day. Worker bees hatch after 21 days and drones after 24 days. In the summer months, around 40,000 honey bees hatch every day in the Maria Theresa barracks. The honey produced is distributed to the army’s dormitories and seminar centers or cooked in the army kitchens.
From biodiversity on military training areas and flowering meadows to the use of renewable energy sources – sustainability is a key value for the Austrian Armed Forces, according to a recent press release. Experts in military ecology, forestry and agriculture ensure that military use and nature are in harmony. Training courses are held to strengthen skills in the areas of environmental, nature and climate protection.
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