A beekeeper, four generations in

I didn’t set out to become a beekeeper. I grew up with it. Bees were part of everyday life in our family — for my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather before him. As a boy I carried hive frames; later I helped raise queens. Somewhere along the way, what had seemed like helping out became something I couldn’t imagine living without.

My father’s work took our bees and queens across the former Yugoslavia. I’m proud of the name he built, and I try to look after it in the same way he did: with patience, honest work and care for the bees.

Today I look after 250 to 300 colonies at six locations. Our permanent apiary is in Draga; other hives move around Slovenia as different plants come into flower. I chair the Karavanke Begunje Beekeeping Association, teach beekeeping courses and enjoy visiting schools. Learning to appreciate bees starts young.

— Erik