Zug City honey as a local gift

Keeping bee colonies is not only beneficial for species conservation and agricultural crops, but also yields a considerable amount of honey, which makes an excellent gift. The action called for by a motion from the Zug branch of the Swiss People's Party (SVP) is already being implemented by the WWZ AG company.
 

“It's a shame when guests in Zug are presented with printed mugs or other gifts that are actually "made in China”," says Zug SVP city councillor (Gemeinderat) Marcus Bühler, who submitted a motion proposing the promotion of Zug City honey production (as we previously reported). The city council has responded favourably (see below).

The WWZ AG energy company has already implemented its own honey project under the supervision of an amateur beekeeper (Imker) who works for the company and, together with other employees, tends to the bee colonies. The idea originated with Judith Aklin, Head of Corporate Communications.

“As a honey lover, I had the idea of setting up beehives in our green spaces – as a contribution to sustainability and biodiversity,” she wrote in response to an enquiry. An amateur beekeeper who is working in the company, and who is a certified beekeeper (Siegelimker), immediately agreed to oversee the implementation and to care for the bee colonies.

"80% of all native flowering plants depend on pollination by various insects, with honeybees playing a significant role," explains the communications specialist. But bees are currently threatened. "Diseases, parasites, environmental toxins, and food shortages make life difficult for them." With its bee project, the WWZ company is creating space for honeybees.

The logo was designed by a former WWZ media technology apprentice.  
A decommissioned gas pressure reducing station is the new home for WWZ AG's bee colonies.
Busy activity around the WWZ AG bee centre
The company harvests 170 kilograms of honey annually, which is given away to partners and customers  
Photos: supplied
 

Old reduction station becomes a "bee centre"
The concept for the "WWZ Honey" project was thereby developed collaboratively. "In the first year, 2024, we started with five beehives at the Unterfeld energy centre," she recounts. The design and layout for the logo and the honey jar labels were created by a former media technology apprentice.

"A gas pressure reducing station was decommissioned at the beginning of 2025 due to its age. Our beekeeper, who works in the network sector, had the idea to turn it into a new home for up to ten bee colonies”. And this led to the creation of the WWZ AG "Bienenzentrale” (Bee Centre), which was also branded with the same logo and is now located at the Altgass substation. "From 2025 on, we have operated a total of twelve bee stations: five at the Unterfeld energy centre and seven at the Altgass substation."

170 kilograms of honey from twelve bee colonies
A colony of 30,000 to 40,000 bees live in a bee station houses, continued Judith Aklin. "And around 10,000 of these bees overwinter. Each colony produces an average of 20 kilograms of honey per year, although the yield can vary considerably, depending on the weather."

In spring, the bees produce a light-coloured honey, and a dark, liquid forest honey in the summer. "We were already able to harvest 170 kilograms of honey in 2025." It’s harvested and processed each spring and summer, and is presented to customers and partners. "So far, the colonies have fortunately remained largely unaffected by the dangerous Varroa mite."

When setting up beehives, it's important to ensure that other beekeepers don't already have hives within a certain radius, explains Judith Aklin. Furthermore, all beekeeping operations and hive locations must be registered with the Zug Cantonal Bee Inspectorate.

Local beekeeping to be promoted
In its response to a motion from the Zug branch of the Swiss People's Party (SVP) regarding the promotion of local beekeeping, the Zug City Council (Stadtrat) reports that 37 beehives are registered with the Cantonal Bee Inspectorate (Bieneninspektorat) within the city limits. With eleven colonies per square kilometre, the Canton of Zug ranks third in Switzerland. Investigations have shown that the existing beehives are sufficient to ensure the pollination of agricultural crops. "Although there are hardly any crops in the city centre that are heavily dependent on pollination, the area is attractive to bees due to its numerous trees."

The City of Zug is prepared to work with the beekeeping association (Imkerverein) and the Bee Inspectorate to assess the need for additional apiary sites, said the City Council. For legal reasons, however, the City Council cannot grant official permission to use the term "Zug Honey." But a more geographical designation is permissible without the City Council's approval, provided that no exclusive rights are claimed.

The Zug region has a long tradition of beekeeping and honey production. “Honey can convey local culture, is a natural product, and makes a suitable sustainable gift,” the city council continued. Promoting regional honey offers benefits for the environment, the economy, and local identity, and can also be used for tourism. A collaboration or partial purchase by the city and tourism sector is conceivable, provided viable solutions regarding quantity, price, and distribution are found. The city is also prepared to facilitate a three-year pilot phase.