Erratic weather conditions are a greater concern to beekeeping than occasional visits from bears, a Slovenian apitherapy expert has warned.
Aleš Jenko and Teja Milharčič run BEe in foREST, an apiary and centre for bee-related alternative treatment methods located in the southeastern village of Klenik.
Being made aware by the Austrian newspaper Der Standard of some deep scratches on their hives, Aleš just said: “This must have been a bear. That’s why we set up an electric fence.”
Reflecting on last summer’s massive rainfalls, he warned: “The rain erodes the nectar from the flowers.”
Numerous beekeepers from bordering Austria recently also said they had mixed experiences in the past season due to the turbulent conditions which featured anything from downpours to heatwaves.
Aleš got into beekeeping when Teja fell ill. He decided to install some hives in a wooden shed as it is the tradition among beekeepers in Slovenia.
Teja went to sleep there on a regular basis while her partner attended beekeeping classes on the internet.
At BEe in foREST, which features beds and stretchers on hives as well as a lodge set up in the garden where their apiary is situated, the duo welcomes vacationers from all over the country and abroad.
Aleš and Teja are convinced that apitherapy, which features methods such as inhaling oxygen from inside the hive with a face mask, can help to cure issues such as insomnia and exhaustion.
They say on their website: “Lying on beehives while listening to the buzzing sound is one way to loosen ourselves. The vibrations from bees have a calming effect and reduce stress.”
There are more than 200 regional apiculture associations in Slovenia, a country with a long beekeeping tradition.
Around 11,000 of Slovenia’s 2.1 million inhabitants manage hives. No other European Union member state has a higher per capita beekeeping activity than the small Central European country.
To honour their engagement and underline the global importance of pollinators, World Bee Day is celebrated on 20th May, the birthday of the Slovenian 18th-century beekeeping pioneer Anton Janša.
