Arthur Jenal

«You always have to be a few steps ahead in your thoughts: What are the weather forecasts? What is in bloom? How are the colonies developing? Do the bees have enough space? Is a swarm on the horizon? How can I prevent this? Am I focussing on yield or colony multiplication this year?

The most important requirement is that the beehives must not be located on the shady side of a valley. However, it is also not advisable to orientate them towards the south in the blazing sunshine. Ideally, the flight hole should face south-east. This way, the bees already have the warmth on the flight board when the sun rises and are encouraged to forage. It is fair to say that the location of an apiary is often the biggest problem for any beekeeper. I had to experience this myself after my apiary outside Plan was destroyed by a huge avalanche in the winter of 2020.

Many beekeepers also have to contend with the pest Varroa. This type of mite was brought to Europe from Asia by scientists and has now spread everywhere where beekeeping is practised. We have to live with this pest, which causes us a lot of work and costs. However, one thing is important: if we do not combat varroa, the hives will die within a very short time.

Natural enemies like the bear have also been in Samnaun. I have to count myself lucky that it has left my bees alone so far. During the critical period, we installed an electric fence to protect the bee colonies.

Pesticides are a sensitive issue, especially in areas where a lot of chemicals are used due to fruit growing and intensive farming. In some places, thousands of bee colonies have perished as a result. We in Samnaun can count ourselves lucky that no pesticides are used that could jeopardise bees and honey.

A bee colony consists of three different types of bees: the workers, the drones and a queen. All bees in a hive are "siblings" and descend from a single mother, the queen bee. The colony consists almost exclusively of infertile females, the workers. They fulfil many different tasks, from caring for the brood to collecting food. The only reproductive female in a bee colony is the queen. Males, known as drones, only exist for a few weeks a year. They have only one purpose in life: to mate with queens on their nuptial flight. And they die in the process. Drones that have not met this fate are banished from the hive after the mating season in autumn.

The queen is essential for the colony and ensures its survival. However, nature has the problem under control. The bees can replace the queen if there are still suitable eggs in the brood nest. Another approach is for the beekeeper to replace the queen. This is not a simple procedure and requires a certain amount of experience. If you are not very careful, the new queen will not be accepted and will be killed.

The bees have only one goal in winter: to survive. It can get as cold as -25 °C in Samnaun. By ingesting the food, the bees are able to produce the heat that guarantees their survival even at the lowest temperatures through muscle trembling.

The biggest mistake is carelessness. If you look after bees, you have to be aware that you are not alone in an area. There are people living there, there are farmers working in the fields and there are other beekeepers looking after their bees. It is particularly important to talk about the careful handling of honeycomb material, which must not be left lying around as it attracts other bees and could cause problems. It is also very important to observe the guidelines of the cantonal office for food safety and animal health GR.

I rarely get stung. The stings are not a problem for me now, which was not the case when I started out as a beekeeper. In summer, I usually work without protective clothing as the bees are not aggressive then. I usually use a bit of smoke, which calms the bees and pushes them back. It's different when extracting honey. Then it would be foolish to work without a veil, because the bees are very aggressive during this period as they have to defend their winter stores.

Only blossom honey is produced in Samnaun, while leaf honey and so-called forest honey can also be extracted at lower altitudes. Bee honey from Samnaun is a delicacy because the floral splendour of the Samnaun Valley is extraordinarily diverse and forms the basis for our first-class mountain blossom honey. First and foremost, the alpine rose produces the most nectar. But it's the mixture that makes the difference.

We sell our honey in the Rechsteiner bakery. We also serve our local customers, who are still loyal to us, at our home.

Before the honey is extracted, it is measured using a refractometer, which indicates the water content of the honey. According to the specifications of the Swiss Beekeepers' Association, it must be below 18%. However, the beekeeper also makes sure that the honeycombs are capped. Then the honey is ripe.

Afterwards, the honeycombs must be transported to the extraction room as quickly as possible and ideally extracted immediately, as the honey will still be flowing well from the heat of the hive and will not be tough. If it is left longer, it becomes cold and is more difficult to extract. After extracting, the honey is filtered using a triple sieve and poured into vats. After about a month, the honey is clear because all the small air bubbles have come to the surface and it can be filled into jars.

Bee stings are unpleasant, especially for allergy sufferers. Anyone who is sensitive should avoid bees. However, the swelling cannot be avoided by most people, unless they are beekeepers who have achieved a certain degree of immunisation. Fortunately, this is the case for me. In general, it can be said that everyone reacts very individually to stings. It also always depends on the amount of bee venom that has entered the skin. Therefore, never squeeze the venom blister with your fingers when removing the sting. This will force the entire depot of venom into the sting site.

Honey was to the ancient Egyptians what aspirin is to people today: the most popular remedy. Even today, doctors still use honey to heal wounds, especially in developing countries. It also prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. It is also used to treat inflammatory stomach and intestinal disorders, bronchial diseases, to soothe or treat diarrhoea. Propolis contains up to 200 ingredients and is one of the most effective natural antibiotics.

I already enjoyed drawing as a child, but this was not encouraged or recognised at the time. Later, I was allowed to teach children to draw in my job. Drawing and illustrating were my daily bread, especially in my early days as a teacher, as there were no computers, projectors or projectors back then.

When I'm painting, I'm in a different world, concentrating only on the essentials. I look very closely and go into the depths of what I see, so to speak. It's not just a first impression, it's an analysis that makes it possible to create an illusion on the canvas. The illusion consists of using colour to put something in the right light so that it doesn't appear flat but comes to life. I ask myself: what colours and what technique do I need to use to create a particular effect? For example, how can I create depth in a landscape so that the viewer has the feeling that they are looking into the distance. I like everything that appeals to me, that triggers emotions in me. The landscape, the villages, special buildings in Samnaun. I have memories and emotions here that continue to shape my thoughts and feelings time and time again. They make an "impression" on me. In other words, you take something with you that lasts.

Portraits of people fall into this category in particular. This is one of the most challenging, but also one of the most satisfying things for me. It often takes me hours to make just one eye shine. The time doesn't matter, it's just later afterwards. The only thing that counts is the result, the effect that I have achieved or failed to achieve. Then the comment that my painting looks like a photo is not a compliment: the painting has to be better, otherwise you could frame a photo and hang it on the wall.

This summer we will once again be able to show some of our works to anyone interested on 6 July at the summit event in the unique setting of the Sattel Panorama restaurant at 2500 metres above sea level. Perhaps we will then be able to find an opportunity in the valley below for the locals to view our pictures. We have noticed that the local population of the Samnaun Valley has shown us a great deal of goodwill.

I have also experienced how fulfilling it can be in other places. But no matter how beautiful it may be everywhere, after a certain time I always feel the urge to return to where I came from. Just as the salmon have to swim back to where they were born years later, I always have to return to Samnaun.

Of course, my favourite place to be is at the Schergenbach with my bees. I also love Alp Trida more than anything in summer. The Planer and Ravaischer Salaas are areas that have a very special appeal for me, and I also associate them with many memories from my childhood. The area behind Compatsch up to the Fliesser Alp is also something special, there are places to linger and dream everywhere. Not forgetting the valley side from Clis Grond, Mot Grond to Curschiglias.»

Pictures: Dominik Täuber

Text: Marion Prinz