Learning from the Masters
As a part of our apiary expansion we made a trip to Castle Rock Washington to inspect new hives we would be purchasing. We left Portland and headed north to Castle Rock Washington. Once there we met Alex and his father, a 3rd generation beekeeper. We followed them to their apiary.
At the site they explained that their bees are from very special queens flown in from Germany. They are descended from true Carniolan queens that have gone through a rigorous 6 point breeding program. Selection includes; docility, ability to fly in cold/wet weather, hardiness, disease resistance, and hygenic behavior. The workers have a longer proboscis than typically found in the standard Italian & Italian/Carni hybrids. The result is a stronger honey bee suited to our wet/cold environment and more efficient crop pollination.
Alex and his father are true beekeepers and were happy to impart their years of knowledge on us. We walked away with a wealth of information. Here are the photos from our trip (courtesy of Nolan Calisch).
