From the Beginning with a Wild Swarm to Nordic Genetics

Made in Sweden

My beekeeping journey began in 1990 with the capture of a wild swarm.

What started as simple fascination for honey bees soon developed into a deep passion for bee breeding, genetics and long-term selective breeding.

During the early years, I was active in local beekeeping associations, but I quickly realized that I wanted to dive deeper into breeding and honey bee genetics than traditional beekeeping at that time could offer.

Working together with experienced breeders and a master beekeeper awakened my interest in queen breeding and selective breeding programs.

At that time, beekeeping was strongly focused on Carnica bees and traditional management systems. The emerging Buckfast bee was often criticized and described as aggressive and swarm-prone.

Ironically, these discussions sparked my curiosity and eventually led me into the world of instrumental insemination in order to protect my own breeding work.

A course at the Beekeeping Institute in Mayen under Prof. Dr. Friedrich Karl Schley gave me my first practical experience with instrumental insemination and controlled mating.

In 2000, I completed my professional qualification in apiculture with a focus on beekeeping and queen breeding in Mayen and continued to expand my breeding work.

After a longer break from beekeeping, I returned in 2016 with a completely new perspective.

This time I consciously chose the Buckfast bee and modern management systems — a decision that changed my entire view of beekeeping.

The Buckfast bee convinced me through gentleness, low swarming tendency, strong colony development and excellent productivity.

During this period, I also optimized my practical management system and developed my work with Zadant and MiniPlus, which I still use today in Sweden.

Since 2020, my breeding work has increasingly focused on HYG, VSH and long-term selection against Varroa.

Important support and inspiration came from breeders such as Stephan Luff, Mathias Engel and others, for which I remain very grateful.

Since relocating to Sweden in 2022, selective breeding under Nordic conditions has become my full-time profession.

Today, WJA BEES focuses on Buckfast, Ligustica and Elgon-based breeding lines selected for HYG, VSH, vitality and sustainable colony health.

Healthy Bees • Strong Future