Bee swarm collection in Clackmannanshire

Oilseed rape on the Forth Carse between Alloa, Tullibody and the Stirling boundary is the dominant April-to-May flow, one of the most reliable in central Scotland, and sets fast so requires prompt extraction. White clover follows on the improved lowland pastures and the amenity grasslands of the Alloa park network from June through July. Sycamore on the Devon and Black Devon valley margins and in the Ochil village gardens drives the May gap flow. Hawthorn is prolific on the lower hillside hedgerows and the field boundaries of the Carse. The Ochil Hills above Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar carry extensive heather moorland from mid-July through September; the steep access tracks allow colonies to be moved up for a late-season heather crop. Bramble on former industrial sites around Alloa and on the Ochil lower slopes extends the summer forage into August. Himalayan balsam is establishing along the Devon Water corridor. Ivy on the older sandstone buildings of Alloa and Clackmannan closes the calendar in October.

Clackmannanshire is served by the Forth Valley Beekeepers' Association, which also covers the Falkirk and Stirling areas and is affiliated to the Scottish Beekeepers' Association. The Ochil Hills provide accessible heather ground for colonies moved in late July — one of the defining features of beekeeping in the Wee County — and the combination of a strong Carse OSR spring flow with a hill heather autumn crop makes the area particularly productive for those who manage the two seasons together.