Organic honey from Central Filand

Komppa-Seppälä Farm

Olusvere 2014

Komppa-Seppälä Organic farm

Specialized in honey prduction, biggest organic beekeeper in Finland

Production, packing and marketiing of honey.

Voi hyvin – organic honey(= feel well)

We started beekeeping in 1986

Marja studied in agricultural school. Evening course in beekeeping

Marja bought the first hive, Ari wasneeded to tranpots it as he had thecar.

No experience, lost a swarm within2 weeks.

Ari become devoted to beekeeping

First years 1986 - 1990

• Beekeeping super interesting

• We read everything possible from university library, no practicaltraining

• Number of hives started to go up 1->4->10->25->47

• Started queen production and sales but low numbers

We bought a farm from Korpilahti 1990

• In beginnig 50 hives, but too much other work and number wentdown

• Bears help in redusing the hives, too

• We knew we would kee more beees in future. So we bought honeyfrom other beekeeper to keep our customers

• At lowest, we had 9 hives in spring

We started to grow again in 1998

• More hives for the intrest f beekeeping

• Ari started work as beekeeping advicer

• In the beginning of 2000 we decided tha bees will be a bigger part of our farms income

• Number of hive doubled for 4 years in a row 1999-2003

• 15->40->98->190-> 270

2003 we decided to quit other productionand concentrate to beekeepin

• Sheep and mushroom farming stops

• 2003-2006 we had about 300 hives in production, we sold a lot ofhives and queens.

• 2003 we changed most of our beees to buckfast bees (before mostwere italaians)

• 2004 we started to sell Buckfast-queens

Too much honey in Finland 2005-2006

• We changed to organic beekeeping in 2007, started selling it 2008

• 2010 -- 400 colonies in production

• 2011 -- 500

• 2012 -- 700

• 2013 ---900

• 2014 about 1250 -1300

2006-

2012-

2013-

Productin areas2014

Work

In summer Ari + Marja + 4 workers + trainees

Normally 2 persons worktogether = 80 – 160

hives / day depending on work

2 vans

(MB Sprinter and Mazda 2200) + 2 trailers

Max load with Sprinter+ trailer: 200 box langtroth , 3000 kg

Family car in queen production

Box storage

Beekeeping

• Overwintering in 1 langstroth box

• box number 2 under, that will be for next winter

• Box nomer 3 on top for honey, excluder under, the rest on top

• Honey harvestif with bee blower

• Queen rearing, about 2000 queens/year, 800 mating hives

• Young queens, buckfast 60 %, italians 35 % + others

11

5

2

1

1 22 2

2

3

3

4

4 1-15/7

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1

• Divisions are made 1-20 July 2-4 frames of cappped brood + foundations + queen, feeding right away

• 25 divisions / apiary

• All weak less than 5 fromes of bees are put for indoor wintering

• We have had 400 colonies in indoor wintering

Problems in beekeeping

• Varroa terated in August with formic acid or thymol

• Oxalic acid tricling in November / December and if needed aftercleansing flight

• Not much problesm with varroa

• Winter losses 5 - 17 %

• Bear problems are coming uo , 2012 35 colonies, 2013 only 15

• 2014 this far 20 colonies lost to bears

Honey

•Automatic extractig line for 120 rframes, separator for wax

•2-3 tons / day

•Honey sold as chrystalized in tubes and in jars.