As a child Ross Main loved to help his grandfather look after his beehives.
Fast-forward three decades, his own children have inherited the fascination for bees and honey that he had at their age.
Jasper, 9, and Ada, 7, are integral members of Mains Apiaries, the beekeeping Fife business Ross has grown from a single abandoned hive left behind by his late grandfather.
Ada helps Ross, 36, tend the hives, unfazed by thousands of bees buzzing around her head.
Jasper’s job is jarring the honey and helping mum Laurie, 36, with social media and accounts.
They also help prepare for beekeeping experiences, where visitors can suit up and learn about the craft industry.
Both are eager to tell me about the bees – they reckon they have 5 million in around 100 hives – when I visit one of their many sites at Kingseat, near Dunfermline.
“Don’t walk directly in front of the hives,” warns Jasper. Apparently your shadow looks like a bear approaching and is alarming to the bees.
Nostalgia brought beekeeping to Fife for Ross
Ada tells me about her favourite queen, Millie. Queens can be marked with a colour to make them easier to spot.
Mains Apiaries all started with a nostalgic search to see if anything remained of Ross’ grandfather William’s beloved hives.
And a rather fraught journey back to Fife with a bee colony in the back of a hire van!
William’s hives were sold after he died in 2007.
But seven years later, Ross’ curiosity took him back to the spot near Dunbar where he helped him as a boy.
“When I was about Jasper’s age I’d go to his hives with him. There were swarms on the go and he would show me the honey.
“It was a bit scary at the time. Thousands of bees flying all around you make a lot of noise and it can be overwhelming.
“But I was captivated by it too.
“I never had the kit that these two do, I just had a veil that went over your head and thick rubber gloves I used to get stung through.
‘I just had a veil and rubber gloves’
“Seven years after he [his grandfather] died, I went the site where it used to be and there was still a hive there.
“That’s how all this started. I stole it basically, and rehomed it!”
Transporting a live hive, however, isn’t like packing up and shifting a piece of furniture.
Laurie says: “Ross isn’t very good at forward planning! He said ‘there’s a hive and I’m going to get it’ but there was no thought about where we were going to put it.
“The day he brought it back up a friend helped him and by the time they got to Edinburgh there were more bees in the cab than there were in the back of the van!
“They had to stop at McDonalds and resecure them.”
From one hive to 100
“It was hairy!” admits Ross.
A site for the hive was found at Auchtermuchty, about 20 miles from their Crossgates home, and it was split into two.
“We kept splitting them over the years and now there are a good 100-odd,” says Ross.
“This site [Kingseat] is one of nine we’ve got.”
Ross still works 30 hours as an inbound support service officer at Amazon.
But running Mains Apiaries has grown from a hobby to a full-time second job.
They supply honey to local farm shops and to Historic Scotland for sale at St Andrews and Aberdour castles.
Laurie, who admits to not being the biggest honey fan, says: “My life now resolves around bees and honey. We have an extraction room at home and from April to September my house stinks of honey!
“There are worse things to smell of but I’m being forced to embrace the honey!”
“Forced is a strong word,” jokes Ross. “We are on a journey together!”
Beekeeping experiences diversify the business, with honey production at the mercy of the Scottish weather.
Ross says: “Anyone who has a wee passion for bees can come along for a couple of hours and I open up the hives and show them how to handle the bees.
Elbow deep in bees
“Then I talk them through the life cycle of what they’re seeing in the hive.”
People who want to overcome bee phobias are among those who have attended, says Laurie, a primary school teacher.
“We’ve also had a lot of young adults with additional support needs, particularly young people with autism.
“Some of them are really passionate about bees, bees are their thing, some are terrified. The experience works both ways.”
And Ada is a perfect ambassador for the bees.
“Ada is always elbow deep in bees,” says Ross. “We have videos of her when she was only two, not suited up, just in among them. The bees are her friends.”
For Jasper caution has grown with age and he prefers tasks away from the hives, but Laurie says: “Ada’s in it for life.
“Jasper and I are definitely the brains behind the business and Ross and Ada are the hard workers.”
People who call Mains Apiaries for help with swarms around their home might be surprised to see a seven-year-old girl turn up.
“Ada has often gone out to collect swarms with Ross,” says Laurie.
“People panic when they see swarms in the summer and contact us.
‘It’s a magical thing being among the bees’
“Ada is very matter of fact. She understands the swarming process and tells people they are just looking for a bigger home.”
Having grown up with bees himself, it’s rewarding for Ross to see his own children learn the skills and respect his grandfather taught him.
“It’s quite a magical thing being among the bees and passing that on.
“It teaches them a lot and to care for nature and the environment.”
Jasper and Ada have given talks on beekeeping at school, beavers and cubs.
“They are proud of it,” says Laurie.
“People underestimate what’s involved in beekeeping,” says Ross. “It took me a couple of years to fully grasp what goes on in the hive.
“It’s hard work but really rewarding.”
Conversation