Apimondia Anthem
Music: Igor Krivopalov
Lyrics: John Downes
...
Raise every voice and sing,
Praise to the honey bee
Working together,
Striving endeavours,
Onwards for all to see
Working together,
Partners forever,
Onwards for all to see
Secrets of longer life,
Life with the bee, we know.
Future is what we see,
Triumph for man and bee
Building a better life
With Apimondia.
Changing the future,
That lies before us,
Praise to the honey bee
Working together,
Partners forever,
With Apimondia
Apimondia Beehem
Lyrics: Ina Niemelä
...
Hop on the bus and sing,
Praise to group connections
On a boat together,
Loyal members,
Of Finnish Beekeeper's Associations
Feasting together,
Buffets forever,
Eat shrimp, desserts and cheese
Misfits of queens and hives,
Life with the swarm we know,
Weather is what it is,
Challenge for man and bee
Is Sweden a better place?
For Apicultor
Questing through landscapes,
King’s counties and Oak trees,
A change to the life of thee
Cruising together,
Partners forever,
With Apimondia
Learn from the stories and sing,
Praise to the guide with a mic
Dancing together,
Lovers forever,
For freedom of man and bee
Sitting together,
On a bus forever,
When is Småland over for good?
Wishes of the boring,
Porridge at breakfast?
That’s what we strive for,
It is good for man and wife
Meeting with Preben,
And wasps of Tjällmö,
I looked at his car,
It was Nissan Navara,
Well suited for beekeepöör
Cruising together,
Partners forever,
With Apimondia
Look at settling tanks and sing,
Wonder in halls of sweet troubles
Extracting together,
White seed crystal honey,
Avoid hoarfrost and trapped air bubbles
Feeling together,
The pains in our backs,
Lift with your thighs, use the life hacks
Organic farmer is an emotion alarmer,
Skåne is not a paradise for a bee,
Pumpkins are larger, corn is present,
European foulbrood, the next hopeless meme
Crossing the bridge,
When drones in the air,
Flights cancelled,
That won’t stop us,
Praise to the honey bee
Cruising together,
Partners forever,
With Apimondia
Open the catalogue and sing,
Praise to the meads of the night
Drinking together,
Amongst the scholars,
Talk to a keeper making the dollars
Sleeping together,
Cabin Hotel is waiting,
Beware of bedbugs hiding and mating
Congress is great,
But remember to change,
The spoon at the honey bar,
Encounters and biomes from jar to jar
Apiexpo gives us a lot,
But easy answers,
To our questions of development,
That is living and fighting,
With and without us
Cruising together,
Partners forever,
With Apimondia
Listen to the scientist and sing,
Praise to research and truth
Understanding together,
Eyes blinking in turn,
Ways to survive before world burns
Fighting together,
Small mites that kill,
Taking oxalic acid and giving sugar refills
Maltese honey bee is good with heat,
Is there our next lead?
Learning from the mountains,
Or trying a new breed?
I heard good news of changing the queens poo,
It is not at all impossible,
When you know who is who,
If DNA is in question docent Vesterinen is your man,
Listen to his keynote and become a true fan
Cruising together,
Partners in crime forever,
With Apimondia
Varroa free honey bees sing,
Praise to the wildness of lazy me
Selecting quality together,
Believing in the process,
Asking mercy from God and the Bee
Doing well together,
Supporting people who do good,
Going on a trip can uplift your mood
Keep strong so you can climb a spruce,
Save your swarm and play a deuce,
I help when you lose your grip,
Don’t look back in anger, let’s call a truce
Bear with me under the northern star,
Who guards the hives from hungry boar,
Electricity is handy but hard to handle,
Those beautiful clever beasts,
That put you out of balance causing a scandal
Cursing together,
Partners forever,
With Apimondia
Spread love and sing,
Praise to St. Valentine
Wondering together,
How can it be?
Grinding too hard is a problem of mine
Working together,
In the 80’s brothers,
Made a living with hundred hives fine
Now a thousand hives,
That is what you need,
To get your cash flowing,
Making ends meet ongoing
How do you see,
The future unfold?
When Tropilaelaps destroys,
Fake honey blinds the sightless,
New ways building bridges over the voids
Cruising together,
Partners forever,
With Apimondia
All photos by Pertti Harmaala above 21.9.-27.9. below 28.9-1.10.2025
Special thank you to Finnish Beekeeper’s Association for facilitating, Maritta for organizing, Nordic Culture Point for funding me, everyone who invited us to their Apiaries and the biggest thanks to the best travel companions that made my trip fun and unforgettable. Love to Aino and Matt who checked my writing.