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To have high-quality bees in their apiary, they transport their mothers for fertilization up to 1,500 km to the mountains of Germany.
6,000 kilometers of adventure
“I took the queen bees to Germany at the end of June. We drove with a colleague who is fluent in German. We left the mothers there for two weeks and tomorrow early morning we will go to Germany to transport them again,” Vilius said.
The one-way trip takes about 18 hours. Older brother Vilius is traveling to the Bakfast bee fertilization site in the German mountains for the tenth time, and here is younger twin Ignas, who will be traveling for the first time tomorrow. “You know how with those younger brothers, they always get offended, so this time I’m taking it too,” Vilius laughed.
Although we have to travel 1,500 km one way, we still have to travel four times. “We take them, we leave them and then we go back to Lithuania. Two weeks later, we go back to the mountain to pick up the mothers already impregnated. So we travel a total of 6,000 km,” said the beekeeper.
Taking such a long trip with mothers is not so easy.
Ignas and Vilius Jackevičiai
© Personal album
Provides strong bee genetics.
The point of fertilization for bees is high in the mountains of Germany, even 700 m above sea level. When asked why he has to travel so far, due to the fertilization of the mothers, Vilius explained that only in this way can the strong genetics of the friends be assured.
“Our goal is for queen bees to conceive with certain ‘males’, because a queen conceives only once in her lifetime. In Lithuania, she can conceive within a 4 km radius, which requires 20 to 30 drones. In Lithuania, no We can guarantee that this population is one of those 30 “men”, that is, the drone brothers. That is why we go to the fertilization point of Bakfast, and Bakfast is the breed that we cultivate, “he explained.
“Here in Lithuania, there are no more islands or other mountains around where a bee fertilization point has been established since ancient times. The closest to us is in the mountains of Germany. There are no bees anywhere in those mountains within a 30 km radius. Well, in Lithuania, when the mother flies in a radius of 4 km, there are bees everywhere, so we cannot guarantee a quality population. And here in Germany we get the genetically high-quality side and that determines strong genetics, ”Vilius continued.
The point of fertilization for bees is high in the mountains of Germany, even 700 m above sea level.
Out of 100, only the best
However, even after bringing the mothers back to Lithuania, the work does not end here. “After bringing the bees from Germany, we select them for a year and choose the best of, say, 100 females. After choosing, we raise eggs from the mother and raise other bees, which we then sell to colleagues and raise in the apiary. ourselves, ”said the beekeeper.
There are 3 species of bees in Lithuania: Bakfast, Karniko and Italian bees. Bakfast bees, according to the brothers, are the hardest, quietest and most beautiful for them, so in the Jackevičiai apiary you will only find these bees and the honey they produce.
Ignas and Vilius Jackevičiai
© Personal album
Travel challenges
Taking such a long trip with mothers is not so easy. “Everything must be calculated very precisely so that the mothers of the mini-hives, in the so-called wedding houses, have just been born. The goal is for those wedding cabins to be with young mothers, because in just 8-9 days of life, they are sexually mature and ready to travel. Therefore, it is necessary to be as young as possible and not think about any pairing yet, so that you don’t suddenly think about flying for a year when you can’t, ”said Vilius.
During the trip, it is necessary for beekeepers to ensure ventilation, for this they have installed air conditioning, irrigation and ventilation in the bus so that fresh air circulates constantly and the bees have as much humidity as possible.
“When it’s hot, the bees get stressed, causing a high temperature in the hive and the bees can die. So it is really difficult to transport them in summer, but we have thought of everything, so we are doing quite well ”, the boy was delighted.
These trips of the brothers and the friendship with the bees that has lasted 10 years did not go unnoticed, which is why at yesterday’s event in Kupiškis, they were awarded “For merits to the Kupiškis region” and for glorifying the region of Kupiškis in developing meaningful beekeeping and educational traditions. activities.
“We are having so much fun! We heard with one ear that we would receive the award. It’s always fun when you get rated. This year marks exactly ten years since we were infected with “bee disease.” We allowed ourselves to rest until noon yesterday and in the afternoon we went around like bees again, ”the brothers laughed.
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