Blagojco Bozanovski

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

I was born in 1981 in Pehchevo, where I live. I started recreational beekeeping in 2012, with 15 honey bee colonies in a stationary apiary in the place called Amushevi Cheshmi in Pehchevo, at 1000 meters above sea level.

Today I have around 110 honey bee colonies and I have set up another apiary in the Maleshevo Mountains, in the village of Rusinovo, also at 1000 meters above sea level. My plan is to establish at least two other apiaries at different locations. In these apiaries, depending on the year, because of the late foraging, the honey is mostly mixed or mountain honey, however there is meadow honey as well. When I became a member of the Honey East association, I started applying sustainable beekeeping practices, so that my products have greater added value on the market.

Currently I do the majority of the work myself, with the support of my wife Natasha, who is a trained beekeeper as part of the training programme organised by NCP (National Conservation Programme). We hope that in the future at least one, if not all of our three children, will enter the world of the bees and that we will have a successor in beekeeping.

Finally, I would like to encourage all beginners who have decided to start beekeeping, to be persistent and have enthusiasm, because beekeeping can be quite unpredictable. I also recommend to all beekeepers to implement sustainable beekeeping practices so that we have safe and good quality honey on the market. Bees are the most valuable and important part of the living world, and by deciding to keep and raise bees, we also become part of nature.