Mission Statement
Mel Disselkoen strives to identify the natural behaviors and seasonal reproductive cycles of the honeybee and then direct those behaviors toward a profitable objective.
"Since honeybee behavior is naturally directed towards survival and increase, beekeepers can adapt their management and business models to the honeybee's natural instincts so that stress is minimized and performance is optimized. By working within this philosophy of cooperating with nature, I have found that the best bee is the bee that can overwinter in your area."
-Mel Disselkoen
History
Mel Disselkoen was born on a farm in a Dutch settlement in southeast South Dakota and he grew up with an independent farming mentality of hard work and creative problem solving. He has kept bees for 40 years and is familiar with all facets of beekeeping including maintaining 450 colonies with a commercial migratory operation.
In 2000, he sold his bees to that operation so that they could meet their pollination contracts. They are still in business today but Mel decided to leave the operation in order to focus more on his research into bee behavior in the tradition of Rev. L.L. Langstroth, G.M. Doolittle, and Dr. C.C. Miller.
In 1988, he authored a booklet entitled "I.M.N. System of Queen Rearing" that documented his discovery which later came to be known as OTS, or On-The-Spot queen rearing. Today he utilizes OTS to rear honeybee colony "Starts" that biologically break Varroa's breeding cycle. He has kept miticide-free bees for over 20 years and is dedicated to sharing his findings in order to help beekeepers become successful and self-sufficient.
