Introduction
We’re half way through April; another busy month though still not much beekeeping can be done owing to terrible weather. I’ve just cleaned and sanitised all the remaining equipment since it has been just warm enough to work outdoors and hose poly boxes down with water.
I ordered some acetic acid 80% from the Lochness Honey Company who delivered it to my door and dropped in for a cuppa. Today, I created a tower of boxes containing deep brood and shallow super frames. They are fumigating for a week covered and sealed by Linton’s plastic tarpaulins. He doesn’t know this yet as he is away doing arborist work on Skye this week. The back garden smells like a chip shop.
Lobbying Government
An MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament) visited with her assistant for a couple of hours during their Easter recess. They wanted to know what is going on in beekeeping so I told them. They had plenty of time to hear about it over tea and cakes by the stove after a tour of the home apiary and my bee shed. My main points were about honey authentication and labelling, conditions for bee farmers, and the need for financial support for them on a par with all the other Scottish farmers. The weather was Baltic for the visit so I emphasised the unpredictability of our weather for honey production etc. They also heard about pesticides, the importance of all insect pollinators, and the myth of honey bees in decline. I’m waiting for feedback on a conversation that the MSP is going to have with the Minister for the Environment. We shall see.
Beekeepers from History
Is there a beekeeper from the past that you would like to meet if you could? I have three beekeepers that I would invite round for tea and cake, though my first guest would probably want wine! Lucius Junious Moderatus Columella wrote extensively on farming and beekeeping when he retired from the Roman army and he sounds like he had a great sense of humour, see De re Rustica. Similarly, Robert Orlando Beater Manley who was one of the UK’s early bee farmers back at the start of last century had a superb sense of humour. It shines through in all his books including Honey Farming which is one of my favourites. And thirdly, Bob Couston who was also very funny from his stories of being a beekeeping advisor.
Taylor Hood’s Archive Research
As luck would have it, Taylor Hood is also interested in the history of beekeeping, especially in Scotland, and he has contributed the material for the joint blog that we have written for you this week. Thank you, Taylor, for contributing again to the Beelistener blog, https://www.beelistener.co.uk/?s=behind+barbed+wire
Robert Couston, known to his friends as Bob, was born in 1922 and served in the British army in the Middle East during WW2. After the war, Bob was assistant curator at Perth Art Gallery and Museum till 1949 when he left to become advisor in beekeeping with the East of Scotland College of Agriculture.
He retired in 1987 but continued to support the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association (SBA) of which he was president from 1982 to 1985. He also supported the Bee Farmer’s Association and served as their chairman from 1979 to ’80.
Bob was interested in beekeeping education and attained the National Diploma in Beekeeping. He received the Dr John Anderson Memorial Award in recognition of his work for the SBA and contributions to beekeeping education. He also shared his knowledge and wrote on a regular basis for the SBA magazine, The Scottish Beekeeper.
Sadly, just before he was due to represent the interests of Scottish Beekeepers at a meeting with Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food organised in London, Bob died suddenly at home on 10th May 1993. This was a great shock and loss to Scottish beekeeping.
He had eclectic tastes with many interests and was a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. Bob was a member of the Magic Circle https://themagiccircle.co.uk/about/ and he also enjoyed fishing.
On the Golden Anniversary of Dunfermline, he wrote a section of their Anniversary booklet. He wrote about his family links with Dunfermline and how his grandfather (whom he was named after) was given a desk by Andrew Carnegie – the richest man in the world, at that time, who lived in Dunfermline before emigrating to the USA. The article is worth reading, not just on why Andrew Carnegie gave his grandfather the desk, but also because it gives an insight into Bob Couston’s role as a Bee Advisor.
Bob Couston wrote two Books on Bees. The Principles of Practical Beekeeping was first published in 1972, with a facsimile copy published in 2012, which is still available to buy from https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/
The book covers most aspects of beekeeping from a glossary of beekeeping terms, the life cycle of the honey bees, introducing queens, late summer management (including preparing bees for the heather) as well as a section on the enemies of bees.
Although this book was written in the early 1970s, before the threat caused by Asian hornets and Varroa destructor (varroa), it has a lot of information on bees and beekeeping that is just as useful today as it was when written. It is well illustrated with photographs showing how the particular manipulations are carried out (The photographs of the 2012 facsimile are not as clear as the 1972 edition, but are clear enough to follow).
This is a book that is well worth having and will help every beekeeper in the care and management of their bees, dealing with swarms, rearing queens, and producing and preparing honey for sale. One unique aspect of this book is that it was written about beekeeping in Scotland for Scottish Beekeepers. It is well known that beekeeping conditions are very different north of the border owing to climate, weather, forage, and a very short season.
His second book Fly with the Beeman was published in 1989. This book was his follow up publication to Principles of Practical Beekeeping. Bob Couston felt that by writing a book of both personal and amusing anecdotal stories on beekeeping it would help illustrate some of the practical aspects he had written about in his first book, and thus give more experienced beekeepers additional information. The book is a number of short stories covering many aspects of practical beekeeping and it reflects his character, personality, and reputation of being a bit of a bon vivant. When you read this book, you will smile a lot and on the odd occasion laugh out loud like we did.
The Magic Circle
I knew nothing about the Magic Circle till I read Taylor’s paper on Bob Couston and was surprised to discover that King Charles 111, Nigel Mansell, and Stephen Fry are some of its 1,700 current members. It was founded in 1905 to advance and promote the art of magic (tricks and illusions), and you have to prove that you have the skills, and sit exams before you can join. You also have to abide by a code, Indocilis private loqui which means, “not apt to disclose secrets.” You get chucked out if you’re discovered spilling the beans.
You can visit the museum and headquarters in London, if you make an appointment, and you can attend their programme of public magic shows. Now there’s a different tourist attraction for your next visit to London! https://themagiccircle.co.uk/shows/