Young beekeeper from Silbertal triumphs in the national competition!

Young beekeeper from Silbertal triumphs in the national competition!

Fabio Rieder, a 16-year-old young beekeeper from Silbertal, caused a sensation at the Austrian young beekeeper competition in Tamsweg. He prevailed against around 25 competitors from all over Austria and secured first place. The competition took place from May 19th to 21st in Schattendorf, Burgenland, and included both a theory test with 50 questions and 13 practical stations, including work in the bee colony and honey sensory analysis. Rieder began his beekeeping journey after discovering a beehive in his own garden and joined a basic course where he met his mentor Helmut Graf.

During the ceremony, which took place at the Hotel Josefsheim in Schruns, Fabio was honored by Mayor Thomas Zudrell and Christian Brugger, chairman of the Vorarlberg Beekeepers Association. Zudrell praised young people's enthusiasm for beekeeping and congratulated Rieder on his outstanding achievement.

Competition and challenges

The participants in the competition not only had to face theoretical challenges, but also demonstrate practical skills in the apiary. The topics covered included traditional plants, drone drawing and microscopy, which shows that the level of young beekeepers has improved significantly in recent years. The three best young beekeepers from Austria, including Jakob Zöchbauer, Clara Sergl and Florian Schlojer, also have the opportunity to show off their skills at the international competition in Slovenia in July.

Rieder and his colleague Alexander Greunig, who also comes from Vorarlberg, competed for the second time and took 9th and 11th place out of a total of 21 participants. Although Fabio is very happy with his performance, he remains unsure whether he will take part in further competitions. He sees his future in both beekeeping and his training as a mechatronics engineer at Illwerke vkw.

Beekeeping – A year full of activities

Beekeeping is more than just a hobby; it brings with it numerous challenges and responsibilities. A bee colony can contain between 50,000 and 200,000 bees, and the distribution of tasks is very precisely regulated. For example, the workers have to clean the cells and warm the brood immediately after hatching, while the queen is responsible for reproduction. The organization of a bee colony consists of a queen, many workers and a few drones, which together ensure the survival of the colony.

Through his participation in competitions and constant training in beekeeping, Rieder has not only developed his own skills, but also promoted awareness of the importance of bees and beekeeping. His mentor, Helmut Graf, encourages other interested parties to get actively involved in this area in order to keep the tradition of beekeeping alive.