Since the spring of 2022, a rooftop apiary has been operating at Kozminski University, established with the purpose of supporting bee populations in the urban environment. Warsaw is a unique place for beekeeping – throughout the city grow many nectar-producing trees, such as lindens, maples, and acacias, and there are already several hundred urban apiaries. The bees living in urban hives forage in parks, gardens, and on rooftops, collecting nectar that is then transformed into honey of an exceptional character.
In August 2025, the Laboratory for the Quality Testing of Bee Products in Puławy carried out an analysis of the honey from the rooftop apiary of the university. The results confirmed its very high quality. The honey contains 37.8% fructose and 28.0% glucose, which together amount to more than 65% simple sugars – a parameter that demonstrates natural sweetness and high nutritional value.
The pollen analysis revealed extraordinary diversity in the plants from which the bee’s collected nectar. The largest shares were from Virginia creeper (39.7%) and viper’s bugloss (35.7%). The composition also included pollen from linden, acacia, horse chestnut, phacelia, and many other ornamental and garden plants. Such diversity makes the honey from the rooftop apiary of the university a true “map of Warsaw’s nature,” and every batch is unique, reflecting the rhythm of flowering urban flora in each season.
Diversity is inscribed in the DNA of Kozminski University and – as it turns out – it is also reflected in the taste and composition of the honey.
The rooftop apiary is not only a symbol of care for the environment and a sustainable approach to urban space, but also a tangible contribution to the protection of bees and to education about their importance for the ecosystem.
