“If bees disappear from the world, humanity has 4 years left to live.” The quote belongs to the famous physicist Albert Einstein. Bees are of great importance both for ecosystems and for humanity.
The İmdat couple, who are active beekeepers in the Karagöl Plateau of Bayramiç in the Kaz Mountains, were impressed by the tremendous effects of bees on nature and started this business.
The İmdat couple, who were guests of Deniz Sarı’s YouTube program, shared the curious things about their life practices in the Kaz Mountains and their love of beekeeping.
“Those who do not like bees cannot be beekeepers”
Filiz İmdat, a white-collar retiree, and Tuncay İmdat, a retired customs consultant, started beekeeping this year, which they turned from a hobby into a profession. The couple, who started beekeeping with the help of their friends living in that region, describe their love for the Kaz Mountains with the following words. “After seeing the naturalness, vegetation and air here, you get away from city life. Some things cannot be explained, they have to be experienced. “There is tremendous peace here.” said.
“Honey Produced from 21 Endemic Plants”
Stating that there are 21 endemic plant species in the Karagöl region, the couple stated that this was one of the main factors in choosing this region. Imdat couple, “Karagöl Plateau has an altitude of 700 meters. We are surrounded by chestnut, oak, linden and ivy plants.
We are far from chemicals and exhaust gases. “21 types of endemic plants grow in this region and the honey produced here is unique to this region.” said.
“When I Go to the City from Here, I Feel Like I’m in a Cage.”Referring to their story of migrating to the Kaz Mountains, the couple emphasized that the city made them feel like a cage. “My wife and I have longed for village life since we were young. We found a place in this area through our friend and built our house. We settled here for good. It is very nice to live in a natural environment in the village. When we go to the city, we feel like we are in a cage. Here you get tired physically, not mentally, but this makes you happy. We sleep early and wake up early. Fresh air keeps people vigorous.” Our aim is to produce quality honey, not a lot of honey.“There are 4 beekeepers in this region. After determining our regions, the bees adapt to these coordinates. The most important element in determining these regions is to determine where the bees will be most productive. “Our goal is not to produce a lot of honey, but to produce quality honey.” Their friend Mehmet Çimen, who guided the Imdat couple to beekeeping and taught them in this business, has been busy with beekeeping for 15 years. Emphasizing that the Carniolan bee is the most productive species in the Karagöl Plateau of the Kaz Mountains, Çimen also shared information about the bees’ sanctuary, the hive, and its functioning. “The queen bee is born after 16 days. It mates after 1 week. It can have up to 3 thousand cubs.Worker bees are born after 21 days. They work in the hive for 18 days. Then they start coming out and contribute to honey production. The lifespan of worker bees is 45 days.Male bees are born after 24 days. Their job is to mate with the queen bee. Male bees, which live between May and August, are killed by the worker bees in the hive if they continue to live after August. “Stating that bees are creatures directly affected by climate change, Çimen and İmdat couple also gave tips on the average budget required when starting beekeeping.