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80 Years with Bees
Jim, affectionately known as “The Bee Man”, has spent an astonishing 80 years caring for bees. A third-generation beekeeper, he first started helping his father with the hives when he was just nine or ten years old. Eight decades later, he’s still learning.
“There’s always something new,” he says. “The climate’s changing, and we’re always learning.”
Honey Bees in Scotland: A Lifetime of Learning
You might imagine that after 80 years there would be little left to discover. Not so.
Over the decades, Jim has witnessed significant changes in the way honey bees in Scotland live and behave. One of the biggest differences has been the changing climate.
“In the past, bees coped well with long, cold winters. Today, milder winters can actually be more challenging. When temperatures stay warm, bees remain active for longer and use more of their food stores searching for nectar that may not be available. As with so much in nature, balance is everything.”
These changing conditions continue to shape the future of honey bees across Scotland and beyond.
Preparing Bees for Their New Home in Our Glass Observation Hive
The bees arriving in our observation hive won’t be moving in all at once.
“A full hive can contain between 50,000 and 60,000 bees, but an observation hive can only accommodate a much smaller number. To prepare them for their new surroundings, the bees must first be moved several miles away before being brought to their new home.”
Why?
“Bees have an incredible sense of direction. If moved only a short distance, many would simply fly back to their original hive location. By relocating them further away first, they can safely reorient themselves and learn where ‘home’ is.”
Once settled, visitors will be able to watch them go about their daily lives through the observation hive, making it one of the most fascinating wildlife experiences at Dalkeith Country Park.
How Honey Bees Communicate: The Amazing Waggle Dance
One of the most remarkable things about honey bees is how they communicate. When a worker bee discovers a particularly good source of nectar or pollen, she returns to the hive and performs what beekeepers call a waggle dance.
This fascinating movement tells other bees exactly where to fly, including the direction and distance of the food source.
It’s nature’s version of a sat-nav!
Native Honey Bees and Beekeeping in Scotland
“Scotland once had its own native honey bee, known as the Scottish Black Bee. Over time, bees from other parts of Europe, including France and Italy, have been introduced, resulting in a mixture of bee strains across the country.”
As the climate has warmed, some of these southern European bees have adapted particularly well to conditions here.
Why Dalkeith Country Park Is Valuable for Honey Bees
We’re often told that planting flowers helps bees – and it certainly does – but honey bees think on a much larger scale than many people realise.
“They gather nectar and pollen from a wide range of sources, including flowering trees such as sycamore and lime, as well as plants that are often dismissed as weeds, including dandelions and Himalayan balsam.”
A healthy landscape provides bees with food throughout the season, which is one reason Dakeith Country Park offers such a valuable habitat.
A Passion That Never Fades
After 80 years, what keeps someone fascinated by bees? For Jim, The Bee Man, the answer is simple.
“I just like working with them. It’s a passion that has lasted a lifetime, passed down through three generations, and one that will now help visitors connect with the extraordinary world of honey bees.”
The next time you visit the glass observation hive, take a moment not only to watch the bees at work, but also to appreciate the remarkable story of Jim who has spent eight decades caring for them.
After all, the bees may be the stars of the show – but every hive needs a Bee Man.
Dalkeith Country Park Honey: A Hidden Treasure
If you’re lucky enough to visit at just the right time, you may even have the chance to take home a jar of our Dalkeith Country Park honey. Produced in limited quantities and highly sought after by visitors, it’s something of a hidden treasure – when it’s gone, it’s gone