Bee swarm collection in East Ayrshire

Hawthorn is the spring anchor across the Ayrshire lowlands, with hedgerows flowering from mid-May on the enclosed farmland around Kilmarnock, Stewarton and the valley towns. White clover dominates the mid-summer flow on the improved pastures from June through July, supplemented by sycamore and lime in the town parks and estate woodlands — most significantly at Kay Park in Kilmarnock and the Dumfries House policies near Cumnock. Himalayan balsam has colonised the Irvine, Nith and Lugar valley corridors, producing a strong late-summer flow from mid-July into September. Gorse and broom are prevalent on the rough ground above the enclosed farmland through the spring and early summer. Heather begins on the Fenwick Moor, Muirkirk and Cairntable uplands from mid-July, offering a productive moor crop for those who move colonies to the hill.

East Ayrshire Beekeepers' Association, affiliated to the Scottish Beekeepers' Association, serves the council area with a programme reflecting the dual character of the landscape. The combination of productive lowland forage and accessible upland heather means that some members make a summer move to the moor; the Cumnock and upper Nith valley area has a growing interest in heather honey production. Swarming peaks from late April through June in the valley towns, somewhat later on the upland margins.