The Beekeeping

 

I have been a beekeeper since 1995 and a queen breeder since 1998. I run a fulltime queen breeding business and employ part-time help during the busy summer season.

 

My Beekeeping business comprises about 350 colonies, of which about 2/3 are populated with island mated queens. The island mated queens are the basis for the selection and breeding of high quality queens.

The bees are scattered throughout most of Central- and Vesthimmerland, with typically 15 families in each apiary. The area offers a wide variety of terrain and flora, and usually the bees have good and stable forage throughout the season.

When a beekeeping business is run commercially, it must be operated rationally. However, this is not the same as a cold industrial operation.
The bees and nature must also be here, after we have left mother earth. In relation to this, I have, for years, been able to cope with pest management through consistent breeding, and use of agents, who are already present in the honey (e.a. organic acids and thymol).

In the normal operation of the bees, we are only feeding sugar in connection to the wintering of the colonies. In connection with queen production, and production of new colonies, we are feeding what is needed, to produce queens and colonies of high quality.

 

I strive to produce excellent queens, which possesses the following favourable characteristics:
•    Resistance to disease
•    Low swarming tendency
•    Good honey gathering ability
•    Good temperament
•    Calm behaviour on the comb