Åland bees stand out

On 28 May, Åland Post focuses on beekeeping in Åland. Designed by Swedish artist Torbjörn Östman, we find this honey bee among the apple blossoms, seeing that bees are invaluable to fruit and berry growers in the islands.

BEEKEEPING was introduced in Åland in the late 1800s and, today, we find some 80 beekeepers on the islands, most of whom keep bees as a hobby. Relying on bees for pollination, the majority of approx. 950 bee colonies are located close to orchards.

UNUSUALLY HEALTHY, Åland bees are much sought-after. Åland beekeepers have succeeded in keeping their bees free of varroa, a dreaded type of mites that destroy entire bee colonies and has become a plague to beekeepers worldwide. In the autumn of 2013, following assiduous efforts by the Åland Beekeepers Association, the EU commission granted Åland the status of a varroa-free region, entirely prohibiting importation of bees to Åland. Only Åland, Isle of Man, Australia and Iceland are considered to be completely free of the pest. But did you know that all bee colonies in Iceland come from Åland? Some 100 Åland bee colonies are exported every summer, mostly to Sweden and Finland.

THE NORDIC SUB-SPECIES of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) with elements of the yellowish brown Italian bee forms the base of Åland beekeeping. A cross of many strains of bees, the manmade bee race Buckfast illustrated on the stamp is very popular today. Weather and wind conditions influence the quantity of honey produced per hive. Bees reluctantly fly in the rain and preferably not further than 6 kilometres. Consequently, the demand for Åland honey is often greater than the supply. Local brewery Stallhagen buys 3-4 tons of honey every year.

BEEKEEPING

DATE OF ISSUE: 28 May 2018 ARTIST: Torbjörn Östman EDITION: 130 000

DENOMINATION: Inrikes (€1.50) PRICE FDC: €2.25

STAMP SIZE: 35 x 35 mm

SHEET SIZE: 2 x 15 stamps PAPER: 110 g/m² PERFORATION: 13 per 2 cm PRINTING METHOD: 4-colour offset

PRINTING HOUSE: Cartor Security Printing

The first day cover shows a typical beehive and the first day cancel is the well-known hexagonal pattern of the honeycomb built from beeswax within the beehive. The cells are used for honeystorage, larval and pupal protection. The motif is also available as a postcard.