We can bee friendlier to the nature

On Wednesday, April 10, 2019, a campaign of planting honey trees took place in the Betnavski gozd (forest) in Maribor, attended by numerous volunteers. The action was made possible by the company Slovenian National Forests (SiDG), which manages the Betnavski gozd. The campaign also represents the beginning of a wider educational and motivational campaign “SEM SPREMEMBA” (I AM CHANGE), which aims to raise awareness of the exceptional significance of bees for human survival.
The Betnavski gozd is richer for different types of linden trees, cherry trees, chestnut trees, maple trees and rowan trees. The inhabitants, beekeepers, students of the Biotechnical School Maribor and students of the School of Wood and Forestry have planted forty honey trees.



One of the roles of the forest is also to offer pastures for bees, which can be improved with tree species which blooming. The Biotechnical School Maribor is aware of this, so we joined the campaign “SEM SPREMEMBA”.
The campaign aims to encourage every person, company and institution, to plant at least one flowering plant. Each flower means food for bees, even if it is "just" a flower in a pot on a balcony terrace.
In May, the campaign will continue with the planting of nectar flowers and nectar shrubs at selected primary and secondary schools (also in the vicinity of our beehive).
Even in small gardens, from early spring to late autumn, bees can be harvested by pollen. In sunny places, bees are delighted with purple coneflowers, carnations, orange coneflowers, large-flowered tickseeds, New York asters, lavenders, sages, showy stonecrops ... In the shady areas of the gardens, bees are also interesting for black hellebores, lady's-mantles, astilbes,…

At the end of February and in the beginning of March, the sun had already warmed the atmosphere very well, and the first bees went to see the surroundings. The most conscientious were already carrying the first pollen in the hive. With first flying bees, the work begins for the beekeeper.
The most important task is to observe bee colonies before the hive entrance. If the bees do not fly out during the warm weather, or if the hive entrances are soiled with honey and wax, this is a sign that there is something wrong with bee's family. Last year's warm autumn and this year's warm winter active bee robbers. Two school families have also been robbed.




We have clened up the hives of robbed families with the students, while we added some frames with honey and sugar cakes (fondant block) to the rest families.



The students showed their artistic talent in painting hives. They also participate in the international art and literary competition.



For the information day in our school and fair Altermed, we prepared several different types of cream honey (with raspberry, blueberry, cocoa, ginger and cinnamon). Our creamy honey always have a good response and almost of the experimenters like it..



We also carried out honey analyzes at laboratory exercises. We measured the electrical conductivity of honey, the percentage of water in the honey, the amount of hydroxymethylfurforal in the honey, looking for pollen grains with pollen analysis of honey and performed sensory analysis of honey.
The bees were examined for Varroa Mites and Nosema.. We found that Varroa is constantly present, but does not endanger our families. We did not find Nosema in our samples.
With the research project Apitherapy with royal jelly we participated in the project Mladi za napredek Maribora.
We need to complete some other research tasks on the topic of beekeeping. We will present our tasks at a competition in the knowledge and skills of the Consortium of Biotechnical schools of Slovenia.

The apples were sorted and washed in water,



then we put them in a box and washed again.



Then we crushed them in a mill



and mash transferred into the press.



We squeezed the mash to 150 bars. The apples were overripe, so we squeezed out less juice than we expected.



From 80 kg of apples we extracted 22 liters of apple juice. The juice was poured into a bowl through the strainer in which he waited until the next day.



Overnight, the larger pieces of apples saturated. We did not add any additive to juice.
The next day, we pasteurized juice.



We prepared 14 liters of cloudy apple juice. The juice was pasteurized at 86 °C. When bottled it had a temperature of 78.8 °C, which dropped below 70 °C after 11 minutes. The bottles were closed with a stopper, and then laid for 1 minute to make the stopper disinfect. The bottles were cooled below 30 °C in cold water and dropped in wooden box.

Our clear apple juice was produced from the RUBINETTE variety, which is crossed with COX ORANGE X ZLATI DELIŠES.
First we sorted the apples. For apple juice we selected apples with a diameter of less than 6 cm and damaged apples. We have prepared the best quality apple for sale.



Then all the apples were washed. Water was poured into a larger container and each box of apples washed separately. Apples were ready for grinding.



We milled the apples with an electric mill. We poured the apples into a mill, which was crushed into a pulp, which we intercepted in a plastic box.



We poured a apple pulp into a hydraulic press.



When the pressure rose, the apple pulp began to squeeze and, consequently, the juice began to flow.



Under the press we had containers in which we collected the juice. When the container was full, we poured the juice into a large bowl. There were 50 liters of apple juice.



On 50 liters of juice, we added 15 ml of fruit enzyme and 25 g of gelatin and 75 g of bentonite, which helps to clean the juice. We mixed all together and left in the container until the next morning.



The next morning, we decanted the juice, so we separated the sediment from the juice. We decanted it with a plastic tube.



Then, apple juice was filtered with a pad filter.




After filtration, the juice was pasteurized with pasteurisator. We destroyed all the microorganisms and thus prolong the storage life of apple juice.
Apple juice was ready for bottling.



The bottles with heated apple juice were immersed in cold water to cool it as quickly as possible. Then we put the bottles in a box.
Clear apple juice was ready for use.

Third consecutive year, at the Biotechnical School Maribor, we decided to include pumpkins in the crop rotation. The main reason is, of course, pumpkin oil obtained from pumpkin seeds. On Tuesday, September 11th, 2018, students of agricultural technician started with a typical autumn farm chores, harvesting a pumpkins. Due to less precipitation in the summer time, the crop was lower than it should have been, but it is still higher than in 2017.
The pupils separated all the pumpkins and placed them in the rows, where they waited for a pumpkin combine.
The next day, we started the counting, measuring and weighing of randomly selected pumpkins. The measurements were taken very seriously, since the results obtained were also needed for the ERASMUS + project.




With the measurements, we wanted to find out what the crop is on the whole surface, what is the average weight of pumpkin, average diameter, quantity of pumpkin seeds, etc ..
Work was done quickly. So those who counted pumpkins in the field as well as those who carried out the measurements.



We were interested in the proportion of pumpkin seeds in pumpkins. That's why we decided to remove pumpkin seeds by hand. We first weighed pumpkins,



split them in half and remove the seeds.



In the end we weighed the seeds, to determine the proportion of seeds in the pumpkin.



This year's measurements can be compared with last year's. It will be interesting to see, how weather affected on the pumpkin and pumpkin seeds production.
The other pumpkins were mechanically harvested. The combine picked up pumpkins with a hedgehog, crushed it, separated the pumpkin meat from the seeds, and finally stored seeds separately.
After the harvest, pumpkin seeds were dried.

pumpkin harvest 2018 (pdf, 27 KB)

At the subject Fruit Processing, we learned how to process the fruit into a jam. That's why we decided to cook our jam. Jam were prepared from frozen sour cherries, raspberries, fresh BIO lemons and oranges.
At the beginning, we prepared knives, trays on which we cut, various containers, kitchen scales, wooden spoons and other accessories and, of course, fruit. During the work was very important hygiene, so we often washed our hands and dress appropriately. Professor Podjavoršek gave us some instruction and then we could start work. During preparation of jam, we kept the recipes we received.
Preparation of jam is very important. It is a final fruit product, which can be very economically useful, as it is easier for us to sell fruit that we produce on farms.

Preparation of jam

We needed:
• gelling agent in a ratio of 2:1
• 1250 g of fruit
• 500 g of sugar

To the gelling agent was added two spoons of sugar and stirred.



Prepared fruit and gelling agent.



The prepared gelling agent mix with fruit (the fruit must be cold).



Cook at high temperature and stir constantly. Before it boils, we can mash the fruit.



After boiling, add sugar (500 g). Cook for another 3 minutes, stir constantly.



If necessary, remove the foam.



When we remove the foam, we can pour jam into glasses.



Turn all glasses (on the cap) for 5 minutes.



Addition of gelling agent and sugar can also be done the gelling test.



The gelling test is a cooking process, to determine if the dish - most often jam - is thickened during cooking. The gelling test is done by taking a little jam from the pot and placing it on a plate. When the drop on the plate does not break, the dish is sufficiently dense or cooked.

Cooked and photographed: students from 3.a and 4.a program agricultural technician

There are some more pictures:

After the success at the national competition of young beekeepers in Krško, we decided to check if our bees had some honey of fruit trees.
On Monday, we washed all the equipment and prepared all the accessories, and on Tuesday, 8. 5. 2018, we were first time harvesting our school honey.



Nikita, Ivan, Jacob, and Mihej removed the top and smoke the opening to drive the bees lower into the hive. They took the frames from the hive. They removed any lingering bees from the frames with a bee brush. They set them aside into a plastic container with a lid.




These containers with lids were taken to our beekeeping classroom. The girls at the special table uncap the wax-sealed honeycomb using an uncapping fork on both sides of the frame.



They placed the frame into a honey extractor and spined the frames, forcing the honey to the walls of the drum where they drip to the bottom. They opened the spigot and strain the honey through several layers of strainer to remove any stray bits of wax or other debris.
The boys put the frames back into the hive. We were harvesting about 20 L on honey.




We let the honey lie down. After three and ten days we removed the impurities (wax residues) that drove to the top of the honey.



On Wednesday, 9. 5. 2018, we were also harvesting honey from the hives of the Educational Center Piramida Maribor. We did it according to the same procedure and drained 5 L of honey from one hive.



The removed wax cappings were stored together with some honey in a special container and poured with school brandy. This was left for 4 days, then the mixture was passed through the strainer and gauze and filtered through the filter paper. So we got the first school honey liqueur.
When the honey was clean and we removed all wax residues, we pored it in glasses and seales them. We also marked the glasses with stickers.



From last year's honey produced by bees from the Education Center Piramida Maribor, we made whipped honey with ginger and whipped honey with chocolate and pollen. We also filled this honey into glasses and marked them with stickers.



One week after harvesting we found our first swarm on a small peach. With the most faithful beekeeping team (Ivan, Jakob, Mihej and Nikita) we caught the swarm in a wooden crate, closed it and left for one day in a cool and dark place.



Then, the swarm was treated by spraying 4.2% of the oxalic acid solution in order to eliminate the potential Varoa. Swarm was than settled in a new hive. We added it some food in the form of a sugar solution.



We also ordered new Queen bee and made new bee colony.



The girls continued coloring the hives and assembling frames.

Students of the 1st year, studied the city of Hamburg at the geography course.
They searched information about the position and the size of the city, the number of the population, their legal system, compared the population growth in Hamburg and Maribor, found the proportion of the population by sex, compared the natural increase in both cities, learned the structure of the population in Hamburg, learned the economic and media power of Hamburg , talked about tourism in Hamburg, met the path of the river Laba (Elba) from the source to the estuary and met the new city district of Hamburg (Hafencity).
They quickly found out that Hamburg is one of the most important cities in Germany, even in Europe. The population is almost as much as in the whole of Slovenia. In Hamburg, there are more men than women living in, and the opposite is true in Maribor. The natural increase is positive in Hamburg, which means that the population is rising. In Maribor, the natural increase is extremely negative.
Hamburg is economically very powerful. The main drivers of development are the port, which is the third largest in Europe, the aviation industry, heavy industry (steel, aluminum and copper) and rapidly developing tourism. It is very strong banking, which has a long tradition in the city. Media (printed, music, TV and radio) are also important in the city.
In order to make it easier for students to understand why Hamburg has evolved so quickly through history, the Labo (Elba), which is the main culprit for the boom of the city itself, had to learn about it.
In the end, they found out the part of Hamburg, which is probably the most famous one - Hafencity. Hafencity is an example of the modern development of the city, where the residential and business part intertwines. The main focus is on sustainable development and the use of modern technologies.
Considering what the students saw and heard about Hamburg, we could say that this is a very important place. But this is not a classic metropolis (concrete, concrete and concrete again), here you have the feeling that homeliness and modernity with a lot of greenery intertwine in one place. This can be confirmed by students attending an exchange in Hamburg.

hamburg_ang_verzija (pdf, 1,800 KB)

The 41st state competition of young beekeepers took place this year in Krško. Mentors pupils and students, who work in Maribor and in the surrounding area, drove by a bus organized by the Beekeepers Association of Maribor. In a pleasant company of young beekeepers and their mentors, time passed quickly. On arrival, registration and breakfast were followed. After a short speech, competition started. During the competition, our mentors had a joint meeting at which we talked about further work and examined the problems and dilemmas that arise in the competition andin the operation of beekeeping circles. After completing the competition, while the evaluators repaired the test poles, we had the opportunity to see various workshops. We could see a lecture on royal jelly, an beekeeping exhibition, an exotic animal show, we could learn about the history of the city, write postcards, or walk around the city or play sports in a school playground.



With such diverse range of activities, time passed quickly, because everyone could find something for him. Of course, the main purpose of all these activities was making friendships and exchange of experience. The Beekeeper Association, in cooperation with the gardener Trajnica Golob - Klančič, distributed seedlings of honey plants to all competitors and their mentors.



Hofer and Semenarna Ljubljana donated seeds of honey plants. After lunch the most important part of the competition were followed - announcement of results.



This year, for the first time, a final selection of the best beekeeping team was held. The final competition took the form of a quiz. The winners of the final round received a practical prize - beekeeping equipment as a contribution by sponsors.
Our students: Sara Vrečun, Michelle Vrbanić, Glunec Eva, Ivan Praznik, Jakob Pulko and Mihej Mukenauer received a silver award.



Congratulations to all students for their success, and I hope that next year we will see you again in Beltinci.

At the school we hosted a workshop: Scented Candle. Social company Bolje is represented sunflower oil-trademark candle Oilright.
Mr. Bogdan has presented problems arising from the use of palm oil and paraffin wax candles. For the production of palm oil, huge tropical forests are cut out, and paraffin wax is made of oil. When burning paraffin candles, toxic toluene and benzene are generated. Therefore, use the paraffin candle as little as possible in enclosed spaces. We learned that wax candles are healthier for people, but they are more expensive.



Mr. Bogdan also showed us, how we can make a candle. For a simple candle, we need a glassware, water, waste cooking oil and wicks. So the candle is ready and just waiting to light it.





Because, we often do not know, where the oil remains after the preparation of lunch, the company decided that they could start producing candles from waste cooking oil. It is the only candle that is made from renewable sources, from waste material. The advantage of making such a candle is that we do not need dangerous chemicals for the manufacture, reduces the amount of discarded waste edible oil, allows the recycling of waste cooking oil at home, replaces an environmentally unfriendly paraffin candle and promotes the use of candles from a local source.



After the introductory part, the workshop was followed. The students were divided into three groups and each group could choose its smell and color of the candles. Thus, the smell of jasmine, mojito and roses spread throughout the candle making.
First, it was necessary to purify the waste edible oil,



then the students accurately measured the amount of oil



and mixed the powder made from vegetable substances into it.



The mixture was placed in a microwave oven where it was heated.



Finally, the powder was added to the desired fragrance and mixed. We quickly saw the changing of the color of the oil in green, blue and red.



Meanwhile, the remaining members of the group prepared bins for candles and wickers. The colored mixture was finally poured into the bins




and allowed the candle to cool and solidify.



In a very simple and quick way, students came to their scented candles.
At the end of the workshop, everyone agreed that you did not even notice that waste edible oil was the basis for scented candles.
Well, a lot of fun at making these candles.