Allow us to introduce ourselves…
We’ve been working with bees since 1988. As a family business, we practice nomadic beekeeping in Kefalonia moving our bees between the endemic black fir, thyme, heather and the strawberry tree (Arbutus).
We produce small quantities of almost all beekeeping products: honey, pollen from flowers, pollen from bees (bee bread), royal jelly, propolis and wax, which we provide mainly to individuals and to our friends. In good years, we also distribute to select shops.
Since 2004, we have started producing a number of medicinal bee products.
Since 1995, we have been using chemical-free methods to deal with the natural enemies and diseases that bees encounter. For instance, to fight against the Varroa Destructor mite, a well-known bee pathogen, we use “Thermovar”, a thermal chamber of our innovation (Patent number: 005196). With the use of this technology, in 2002 we were able to certify our honey as organic.
Since 2015, we started the bee tour “ More Than Honey- Dias Kefalonian Way” and our apiary is open to visitors.
In our apiary, we use the quality control system ISO 9001:2000 and the health and safety system HACCP ELOT 1416.
We call our apiary “Dias”, after the ancient god Zeus (also Dias in Greek), because our bees overwinter between the altar of Zeus at the top of Mt Ainos, and the small island “Dias”, half a mile south of the apiary.
All the best,
A. Athanasakis and E. Gartsoni