We Are avodaq: Louis and His Bee Colonies

Hello Louis, nice to have you here. You work as a Junior Account Manager at avodaq and you have a really fun hobby. Why don’t you tell us about it?

I’m Louis, 25 years old and I was born in Cloppenburg. I’ve been living in Hamburg for six years now. I originally worked in sales in the food industry, but I decided to switch into IT. What immediately appealed to me about avodaq was that the company is modern and innovative. I’ve been with the company for over a year now. My balance to my job – or my good-weather hobby, as I like to call it – is beekeeping.

So we’re twice as lucky that you’re part of the avodaq team. How did you get into beekeeping and what was the reason for you to start?

I discovered beekeeping for myself back home. We had a beekeeper in the neighborhood with whom I helped out for a season. I was about 18 years old at the time. That same year, he gave me two bee colonies as a present and I was able to start my own work. To learn more about handling the animals and honey production, I completed a one-year course. I would recommend this to anyone thinking about this hobby. I had my neighbor at my side as a mentor during the entire time. After that, I stood on my own two feet. But you definitely learn something new every year.

For me, beekeeping was and is a great opportunity to work with animals. The bees are independent and don’t need to be fed or walked every day. You can invest as much time as you like with bees. To be honest, I enjoy working with the animals the most. The honey harvest is a great bonus.

What does a year with your bee colonies look like? In spring, summer, autumn and winter. What is your job and how much time does your hobby require?

Where do your beehives stand? Surely that’s not so easy in a big city, is it?

Back then, the beehives stood directly in our garden. Before I moved to Hamburg, I first had to do some research. In the end, the building authority was able to help me and I was allowed to stand in a meadow that is less than ten minutes away from my flat. The city even planted extra wildflowers. But there are also lots of rapeseed fields and gardens around it. The mixture of honey is different every year. The bees collect within a radius of up to 5 kilometres.

In your opinion, does beekeeping involve a lot of responsibility? And would you choose it again?

It is definitely a responsibility. Unlike a dog, but you are still responsible. I’ve also had part of my colony run away. If the bees then don’t find a new home in the wild – which is increasingly difficult – they don’t survive the journey. As a beekeeper, that’s absolutely not something you want.

Beekeeping is very compatible with my job at the moment. But of course you have to plan to visit the bees during the day when it’s still light. That varies with the season, of course. I’m doing very well at the moment and would do it again. From February to June I have a lot to do for my hobby, after that there is less work and more free time. In February, however, I’m always looking forward to getting started again.

How many bee colonies do you care for and how much honey do you get? When can we expect the avodaq honey?

I currently have four colonies. I can harvest from three of them. You can expect around 25 to 30 kg of honey per colony each year. That’s more than 100 jars of honey this year. I will be harvesting in a few weeks and the honey will be available in the summer. I’m definitely looking forward to making my colleagues and customers happy with it.

Louis, a really exciting hobby. Thank you very much for the interview. We look forward to your honey!