FRED JAGGI
July 14, 2018
Fred Jaggi sets great stores by tradition. For him, it is an ingredient in his recipe for success. This also implies that he exclusively keeps bees of a “local black breed”, known for swarming a lot, but also for producing more honey. “Their place is here, in the mountains, and it has to remain so.” The yellow bees (belonging to a beekeeper in the nearby valley) that sometimes wander over to his place are a great source of annoyance for him. One of his queens was just fecundated by a yellow drone and has been laying the eggs bearing the little half-breeds. With assured gestures, Jaggi seizes the treacherous queen, scolds her some more for her infidelity, then severs her head by pressing his thumbnail on the edge of the honeycomb.