When it was built, the Conservatory had a central cross isle of decorative tiles (which are still in place today). One of my early memories as a young boy, was seeing a statue of an African woman at the central part of the cross aisle and a beehive at one side. The hive was linked to the outside via a letterbox, which gave the bees access to the outside without having to fly through the Conservatory. I was fascinated by the bee activity and loved watching them coming and going through the letterbox! Over the years since my childhood, the Conservatory fell into disrepair and for many years was neglected.
However, in 2010, Belleisle Conservatory Ltd was established and, with the aid of Lottery funding and thanks to a small team of volunteers, the Conservatory was fully restored. As part of this initiative, the bees were relocated to an observation hive at one end of the building. There are plans to renovate the Conservatory and revamp the bee area later in 2024.
The Conservatory houses approximately 8000 bees in its observation hive. Currently, there is a new Queen Bee in the hive, which I will remove and mark, so that she can be easily identified by visitors to the hive. The Belleisle hive is kept purely for educational purposes. Regular events are held at the Conservatory, which introduce members of the public to the world of bees. An Open Hive Day is scheduled for 25 August 2024, when we anticipate having a controlled space where people can be suited-up in protective clothing and have an opportunity to interact with the bees.
The honey produced by the Belleisle bees is left in the hive for the bees’ own use. However, there is honey for sale in the Conservatory which comes from my hives at Doonholm Estate and hives owned and managed by one of my friends.
A beehive can accommodate a colony of between 40,000 and 60,000 bees. Bees often swarm in May, June or July which is one of nature’s ways of controlling bee numbers.
I have lived in Ayr more-or-less all my life. I attended Ayr Academy and spent a short time as a trainee teacher before joining the police service. My passion for beekeeping dates back over 40 years and stems from a chance meeting with a beekeeper called David when I was a volunteer at the construction of the new Tarbolton Gospel Hall. At the time we met, I was working in the police force. I went to visit David and his bees and, as he instructed, wore my police uniform trousers. What I did not know at that time was that bees dislike the colour black and dislike wool – so in my police trousers I was a target for them! However, this early experience didn’t put me off and I have been involved with bees more-or-less ever since.
Throughout my working life and now into my retirement, I have retained my interest in bees and beekeeping. Over the past 40 years I have been a member of the Scottish Beekeepers Association and have served as President on two occasions. I also belong to Ayr and District Beekeepers Association and have been their President in the past and I am due to take the Office of President again shortly. I was also a member of the consultative group which advised the Scottish Government on the development of The Honey Bee Health Strategy 2022-2032.
In Britain only 14% of the honey consumed is locally produced. One of the largest British producers is a firm called Denrosa owned by Murray McGregor. This Company owns approximately 5500 colonies of bees which are moved around the country depending on which crops are seasonal at any given time, e.g. rapeseed, heather etc. Such movement of bees can be seen as controversial as some see it as a contributing factor to the spread of bee pests and diseases and as competition for foraging. However, there is very little evidence to prove this situation occurs. Bees are vital pollinators and we all must strive to ensure they continue to flourish. There are over 20,000 species of bees throughout the world but only a handful of species have protected status.
It is important to encourage the younger generation to be involved with bees and bee keeping. To this end, there are various courses run throughout the UK, including a Beginners Course at Carrick Centre, Maybole. This course currently has 31 participants, including both those interested in beekeeping as a hobby and those just interested in beekeeping knowledge.
I have been to see the Mural in the Tunnel . I am very impressed with the artwork, and I just love the small painting of a bee!
The Mural will undoubtedly attract tourists to the area and increase interest in the legacy of Robert Burns.
Phil McAnespie
