20-05-2025

In April this year, Poczta Polska launched a safe bee transport service. An extraordinary apiary was also opened – with hives made of recycled materials – located on the premises of the parcel sorting plant in Lublin. Poczta Polska is developing pro-ecological activities and strengthening its commitment to protecting extraordinary insects that pollinate over 70% of food crops in the world.

Moritz Street in Lublin. Here, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, work is underway to sort and reload parcels that arrive at the Polish Post sorting office from Poland and abroad. For several weeks now, however, it's not just people who have been working here. Thousands of bees are bustling among the flowers and bushes around the buildings of the Shipping and Distribution Hub.

How postal beehives came into being

The postal bees live in hives that Poczta Polska established in cooperation with the Odzyskaj Środowisko Foundation. The recycled hives were designed by a graphic designer and beekeeper in one person – Tomasz Waśkiewicz. The conceptual work on the project lasted over a year, but today the hives delight the eyes of everyone who passes by. In the city scenery, the bee houses with red roofs also attract attention thanks to their original bodies. They were built using drums from used washing machines, which were straightened and then cut into characteristic hexagons resembling honeycombs. Each hive is home to 40 to 90 thousand bees of the exceptionally gentle Carniolan breed.

Why in the city?

According to experts, the city is a good choice for bees. Among the arguments confirming the well-being of these insects in the urban environment, the most important are primarily greater plant biodiversity and higher air temperature, but the most important argument is the lack of chemical plant protection agents, which are now widely used in agricultural areas. Bees need nectar, pollen and water to live. The source of pollen and nectar is trees and flowers, which can be found in parks and city squares, on wastelands or meadows, balconies, and also in allotment gardens.

Without bees there would be no food

Bees pollinate about 70% of the world's food crops, making them essential to agriculture and horticulture, and therefore to global food security. Honeybees play an invaluable role in maintaining the health and balance of the entire natural environment.

Safe transport of bees with Poczta Polska

In April, Poczta Polska introduced a pioneering service on the Polish market – safe transport of bees. The offer was created with the beekeeping community in mind, which numbers almost 100 thousand people in Poland. The possibility of safe shipment of live bees is provided as part of the Pocztex service.
The service was designed in cooperation with experts from the Polish Association of Bee Queen Breeders – with attention to every detail. Special marking of parcels and recommended packaging ensuring ventilation and access to water are just some of the standards introduced. All this to provide insects with optimal conditions.
With the safety of bees in mind, sorting office employees and couriers have undergone special training. Parcels are accepted from Monday to Thursday to avoid the risk of being left in warehouses on weekends, and special places for bee transports have been designated in postal forwarding and distribution hubs.

Source: Poczta Polska

 

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