Winter idyll at Elvedin Hodžić's apiary near Foča

Bees are now resting in their colonies, which consist of thousands of individuals, along with their queen. That is why beekeeper Elvedin Hodžić only occasionally comes from Sarajevo to Foča during the winter, where one of his beautiful apiaries is located. The first serious work in the apiary, he says, will only begin with the first rays of the spring sun. Until then, the most important thing for the bees is to ensure peace.

- Beekeeping is a job that requires knowledge, but equally love – Hodžić told the Patria News Agency (NAP).

- For someone to be a successful beekeeper, it is necessary to know the life of a bee as much as possible. It is necessary to know what the bee colony expects from him at all times.

Experts estimate that Bosnia and Herzegovina has great potential for the development of beekeeping, due to its clean ecology. After the last conflicts in BiH, almost all polluters in the country were destroyed, which opened up space for the production of healthy food.

Honey from BiH is extremely valued on the world market, so the EU recently included BiH honey among the few animal products that can be exported from BiH to this market of 500 million consumers. However, despite the potential, beekeeping in the country is still not sufficiently developed, and only a small number of people are seriously engaged in this business.

Hodžić is a medical worker, and he says that beekeeping is an equally great occupation for him. He acquired his first bees back in the 1980s. Today, his bee empire numbers nearly 100 bee colonies, which are located in several places in the pristine nature of central and eastern Bosnia, writes Patria.