Goce Ruzhinski

Move the photo in all directions for a better view of the apiary.

I was born in 1985 in Berovo, where I live and work.

I started raising bees in 2015, recreationally, with three bee colonies. In 2016 I learned about the training of the Nature Conservation Programme and I applied immediately because I wanted to turn my recreational beekeeping into a small family business. That is how I started to increase the number of bee colonies.

Today I have two apiaries with around 60 bee colonies in the village of Vladimirovo, at the location called Shiroki Dol. The site is almost 20 km away from any urban areas, there are no motor vehicles passing through, and I produce natural, mountain and ecologically-friendly honey. My apiary was one of the apiaries used in the research on the application of alternative methods for Varroa destructor control, and after the completion of the research I continued implementing these methods.

I perform most of the beekeeping activities myself, but I have great support from the family so in the future I plan to increase the number of honey bee colonies, and hopefully apiaries.

At the end I would like to point out that bees are one of the most important insects in the world and a very important link in the natural ecosystem. The pollination by bees preserves the genetic diversity of flowering plants, and bees are also the most important pollinators for agricultural crops, thus increasing yields. I love beekeeping because spending time with the bees is relaxing and a way to forget about your daily chores. I simply enjoy every moment spent in nature with them.