My name is Goran. I'm a third generation beekeeper on Solta, a small island in
Dalmatia. Eighty-five years the bees be in my family.
Originally my whole family came from Split. My grandpa came here with the first ferry.
He decided to come with the bees. He finds some owner, he asked, "Can I bring 20 beehives?"
and owner says, "Yes" and after few years my grandpa and my father start to buy
the land, built a little house for bees, then we built a little room for sleeping.
My grandpa start 1934 in 20th century with bees and I hope so my son be fourth
generation. Bees are too important for us. Without bees, we die.
I always start presentation with this picture. My grandpa, my father, and me 1970 in Split.
They teach me everything what I know right now. I'm not beekeeper because
of school. I am a beekeeper because of experience and family job.
I hope so you don't afraid because bees is very nice animal. Behind the picture of my family
it's bees. Some children wrote me, "Goran, thank you. Before I came to your place, I (was) afraid of bees.
After your presentation, I don't afraid of the bees."
This small community present normal beehive.
This honey came from all six continents because this is a part of mission, "Give
Bees A Chance." Next year I probably make a new shell because a lot of honey came.
When I collect 500 jars, maybe next two years, I (will) organize the contest here.
I call during the winter my friends and we open every jar and we test.
Before five years every bees be here, 200 boxes. Forget the pool, forget everything.
Only bees here. Bees never sting my children, never. They play all around, but
I must move the bees right now because a lot of guests is here. We try to put here
Lavender, Sage and Rosemary. You know, domestic plants for the bees, not some
plant from other continent.
Slovenia beekeeper have a tradition to paint, but only first side, but I go with this boxes to our
elementary school and I prayed, "Children, please make me picture", and they make me picture.
This is my grandpa's centrifuge and old, maybe 70 years, is the same
procedure you know. Always is the same procedure. We must remove the bees.
It's approximately 2 pound of honey. Before we put the frame in centrifuge we must remove the wax covering.
I turn around, honey go outside. I open the pipe and honey go out.
The big pieces of wax stay in the filter. In a few days the little pieces of wax going
up. I pick up the pieces of wax and sell to the people. Very simple. I need to
collect always more than honey because a lot of beekeeper only collect honey.
Honey it's one of the six products. Honey, pollen and propolis came from nature.
Other three; royal jelly, beeswax, bee poison. A beekeeper collect the poison because
pharmacy industry use the poison for medicine. Young worker bees produce royal jelly.
She eat royal jelly. If you want to build your immunity system with the best
food from the beehive, please buy royal jelly. I collect from the bottom of the
Queen cell royal jelly and I put directly in the deep freezer. One gram per day
it's enough and you build your immunity system and you'll be full of energy. A lot
of people never heard about propolis. Bees collect sap and produce propolis.
I put in one liter pharmacy alcohol. At thirty days, I mix it. After thirty days I filter it and final product I put in the jar.
If you cut your skin. Alcohol operate it and propolis make a film. You don't need antibiotic cream or
bandage or whatever. If you have the cold sore or before flu you feel something in
your throat, sometimes propolis help. Pollen it's a better product. You have heavier
pollen allergy one little teaspoon every day and you build your immunity system.
If you eat one little teaspoon every day, local, your heavier be less. Two pieces
are two pieces of pollen. When I put the pollen trap she must pass through this
tiny hole, pollen falling down, and every evening I collect pollen.
This pollen came directly from freezer. And this is a 50% pollen 50% honey. This pollen stay
outside because honey protect the pollen. This pollen must go in the deep freezer.
Every beekeeper says, "My honey's the best in the world."
I'm a beekeeper, but I'm not stupid beekeeper. This is good honey
but the best honey in the world came from New Zealand. This honey a lot of
hospital use. They put directly Manuka honey on the bedsores with some bandages.
The scientists discover inside it's super antibacterial ingredients and
please if you want to have one jar please order directly from New Zealand.
A lot of people make mistake. If you put honey in hot tea, if you cook with honey,
you kill the best part inside. A lot of people have never heard about some of the
products and this is a good chance to speak with the audience and say
something. We make a mission here and right now I have a chance to talk.
The bees are pollinating more than 60% fruit and vegetable. We lose the bees definitely 15-20 percent
per year and this is not problem of Croatia, Great Britain or Alaska.
This is a world problem, global. It's a lot of reasons; little parasites,
modern agricultural, pesticide, insecticide, bees flying near mobile
phone towers. This is a problem and thank God I have a lot of chance on the island Solta to speak about it.
If you live in New York, if yo u live in Berlin, if you live in little city, visit a local beekeeper.
It's easy to go to the shop, to supermarket, and buy honey from the shop. But they care about profit
and I respect, but they don't care about pollination. You must care about pollination and
please visit local beekeeper. This is the first step. If you have a garden in front
of your house bees love flowers like Rosemary, Sage, Lavender or whatever.
If you be enough brave start with two beehive in your garden. Call your local
beekeeper association. They must give you a mentor for free. You must buy a few
books, you must go to the internet and educate, but one season it's enough to
your mentor teach you the basic stuff about bees. After one year you will be
ready to be beekeeper alone without mentor.