Slovak Beekeepers’ Association hosted Young Beekeeper National Competition
Jozef Dekret Matejovie Secondary vocational school of forestry and woodworking in Liptovský hrádok (North Slovakia) hosted our Young Beekeeper National Competition (súťaž Mladý včelár) organized by the Slovak Beekeepers’ Association (SZV – Slovenský zväz včelárov) on 6th-7th June 2025. More than 100 children from all Slovakia, divided into two age groups – younger students (up to 12 years old) and older students (12 to 18 years old), took part in this competition. Most of them were very keen to show their knowledge and practical skills needed to be chosen as the best young beekeepers in Slovakia. The main motivation for older students was the opportunity to qualify for the next IMYB event.
All participants and their mentors arrived on Friday afternoon and checked in into their rooms. After a short guided tour around the premises of the school we had a ceremonial line up followed by dinner. After dinner the older students stayed in the canteen and started to do the theory test. It contained 30 challenging questions which allowed them to get up to 30 points for the final score. Only 2 older students got all answers correctly. As soon as all of them finished writing the test, the younger students came in and did their version of the test as well. The mentors brought a lot of different types of honey so the children could taste them and gain some necessary information needed for the next day’s recognition of different sorts of honey. Later in the evening, they were in their rooms, many of them studying anatomy for the next day or just having fun with their peers.
The next day, on Saturday, the practical part of the competition started at 9 a.m. Altogether, there were 11 disciplines (or stations) where they could receive from 5 to 30 points. The children in both categories were divided into groups of three and visited every station as a team. Three examiners were present at most stations, so each child had their own task and an individual examiner. This way we were able to assess both individual young beekeepers as well as teams at the same time.
Microscopy (15 points)
The children arriving at this station were given three microscope slides. They were supposed to place them into the microscope, adjust until the slide was in sharpest possible focus, identify the slide and provide the examiner with some extra information about the slide. For example, anterior leg – it has a brush that is used as an antenna cleaner, the leg is attached to the thorax, etc. There were more than 10 different slides including 2 parasites.
Work with bees (30 points)
Unfortunately, this year’s conditions did not allow us to let the children work with living bees. The examiners had to promptly come up with some solution, so they decided to use a set of photographs of honeycombs where the children were supposed to demonstrate their knowledge of practical work with the bees. They were asked to describe what they see in those photographs, followed by a few questions about the work with the bees.
Marking drones (5 points)
Children arriving at this station were supposed to catch a drone from a box that was previously filled with drones and then mark them with the right colour. This is a very popular activity, more than half of the children were given the maximum of 5 points.
Recognition of beekeeper’s tools (10 points)
There is a plethora of beekeeping equipment and tools so to make it smooth and time effective the examiners decided to prepare this station in a different way than in previous years. Every item was labeled with a number (there were more than 30 items), every child had to draw ten pieces of paper where the names of tools were written and match them to the items labeled with a number. Most kids did very well here too.
Recognition of different sorts of honey (10 points)
It might seem simple, but this is the only discipline where none of the older students was good enough to get the maximum of 10 points. The task was to taste and identify the type of honey (acacia, linden, sunflower, honeydew honey etc.), uncap and extract honeycombs. Work with a refractometer was planned as well, but due to time constraints we had to omit it.
Assembly of frames (5 points)
The task was very simple, assembling frames using nails.
Making splits (20 points)
The children were expected to make a split, either with an old queen or with queen cells and explain the whole process. The examiners were using frames that have photographs of honeycombs including one with a marked queen, a few frames including queen cells and/or brood and honey stores.
Honeybee anatomy (15 points)
Understanding the anatomy of bees is important for appreciating their vital role in pollination and the health of ecosystems. Studying insect anatomy can also inspire interest in biology and entomology, encouraging students to pursue further scientific exploration. The importance of detailed knowledge about internal organs extends beyond education, as it can lead to better conservation efforts and sustainable practices in beekeeping.
The participating children at the Anatomy station were supposed to demonstrate their knowledge of the external and internal structure of a honeybee’s body. Teams of three children arrived, but each child had
their own task and an individual examiner. Younger students looked at a picture of a worker bee—and were asked to name the basic parts of its body. Apart from a few minor hesitations, everyone performed excellently. Older students faced a more challenging task—they were given a detailed diagram of a bee’s body and its internal organs, which highlighted 50 points to be named. Each student randomly selected 15 labels from a set of cards with names of body parts or organs and then had to match those to the correct points on the bee’s body diagram. Here, considerable differences in preparedness among the children became evident—some were able to accurately identify nearly all the parts they chose. However, there were children who, especially with internal organs, struggled more. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the anatomy station was more challenging for the older students compared to previous years’ competitions. Despite this, the children handled it with dignity, and it might motivate them to further study the missing or less familiar details.
Rudolf Kotrusz, leader of the Anatomy station
Recognition of bee forage plants (20 points)
This station was beautifully situated in the green zone of the school, surrounded by greenery, trees, and natural wooden elements. The space was divided across three tables, each offering a different type of challenge for the participants. One table displayed living plants, another showcased photographs, and the third featured interactive riddles – a brand-new addition this year that caught the children by surprise and made the task both more engaging and more challenging.
The plant selection was thoughtfully curated to include species that children might recognize from home gardens, urban parks, or common flowering shrubs known for their significance in supporting bee populations. This approach not only tested their knowledge but also helped them connect their learning to the world around them.
Introducing riddles this year was a deliberate step in raising the bar for the competition. It encouraged critical thinking and deeper engagement, adding an extra layer of difficulty and fun to the experience. A big thank you goes to Martina and Jozef for their creativity and support in designing this station. We sincerely hope the children found it both enjoyable and educational!
Juraj Sestrienka, leader of the Recognition of bee forage plants station
Honeybee diseases (15 points)
Motivated by IMYB UAE 2024 event we decided to extend our competition by two new disciplines – diseases and English. Being knowledgeable in honeybee diseases is a vital part of beekeeping. Unfortunately, even experienced adult beekeepers often lack a lot of knowledge regarding diseases of honeybees. Every beekeeper, including a young one, is supposed to be well informed and able to recognize diseases and pests of various types. At this station, the children were supposed to do a test where they had to recognize the symptoms of AFB vs. EFB and answer a few additional questions. The second task was to match pictures of different diseases and pests with their names written on small pieces of paper. Surprisingly, most of the children scored over 80% in this discipline, which is very satisfying to know that our mentors spent some time preparing the children for this discipline and taught them about such issues.
Karol Kliment, leader of the whole event
English (15 points)
As IMYB became a real international event with participants from all around the world, being fluent in English is a very important skill for future participants to be successful and to enjoy the time spent with other young beekeepers. The English station consisted of a 10-question quiz on Quizizz.com platform where the children were able to get up to 10 points, and additional up to 5 points were given to the children for their speaking skills. The test for the younger beekeepers was prepared by Margaréta Hockicková. We both tried to be as spontaneous as possible and asked children to answer everyday questions as well as questions about beekeeping. The words most of them did not know were continuously written on board to teach them as well as to test them. Even an event like a competition can be a good ground to learn something new.
Ladislav Pongrácz, examiner at the English station and the theory test
The winners:
Older student (qualified for the next IMYB event):
1.place Bazsó Richard
2.place Kuzmová Zoe
3.place Orieščik Tobiáš
Younger students:
1.place Brídziková Zuzana
2.place Galánek Jakub
3.place Lovíšek Peter
