Bee World

The proud beekeeper Carlos Jesus, has truly dedicated his life to the family business since 2006. Beyond simple beekeeping, his role is part of many responsibilities aimed at ensuring the well-being and productivity of his hives. 

Within the beehives themselves, there exists a social structure consisting of three distinct types of bees: the Queen bee, who controls the hive and lays eggs; the worker bees, responsible for tasks such as foraging, building, and caring for the young; and the male bees, whose primary role is to mate with the queen.

Harvesting honey is a thorough process that involves scraping accumulated material from the hives using specialized tools before subjecting it to a centrifuge. This spinning separates the honey from other components.

The importance of sustainable practices in beekeeping can be seen in reusing materials and partnering with companies to recycle old wax sheets; the beekeeper ensures that his business operates in an environmentally responsible manner.

Protecting the bees from threats like wasps and parasites is an important part of his work. For dealing with wasps, he uses a safe and non-invasive method that involves a mixture of sugar, alcohol, and starch in a plastic bottle, which attracts and traps the wasps without harming the bees. The next threat is parasites. To deal with them it requires careful timing, with treatments administered at the beginning and end of the bee season to minimize their impact on the colony. This aids in the health and vitality of his bees. Natural disasters like wildfires pose a significant threat to his job. Despite his best efforts, he has experienced losses, losing dozens of hives to these uncontrollable events. To reduce the risk, he has had to invest substantial resources in relocating his bees to safer areas, such as the coast.

Carlos understands the important role bees play in our ecosystem. To fulfill that type of work requires not only a deep passion but also a great sense of responsibility. Bees are not just insects but they are also key pollinators that contribute to the growth of plants, including those that support human life.

The place where beekeepers store bees and honey.

Mariana Reino, Laura Alves, Maša Gartnar, Patricija Mohorič, Konstantinos-Rafail Gkatis