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US beekeeper creates a buzz
25.02.08
MOVILLE was a hive of
activity recently as a crowd of around 60 beekeepers
from Inishowen and further afield swarmed to listen
to a lecture by one of foremost beekeeping experts
in the United States.
For an hour and a half, Dr Clarence H Colliston -
Head of the Department of Entomology and Plant
Pathology at Mississippi State University - had the
occupants of the Foyle Hotel back room in his thrall
as he delivered a masterclass in the art of breeding
honeybees. |
Among the audience was
Greencastle-based playwright and beekeeper Brian
Friel. Mr Friel was joined by members of the two
local clubs, Foyle and Inishowen, as well as other
clubs north and south of the border, including the
Roe Valley Beekeepers Association and the Donegal
Bee-keepers Association.
The highly-informative talk focused on techniques
for producing a thriving hive and how to spot the
early signs of disease.
Speaking after his lecture, Dr Colliston (62), who
was making his first visit to |
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Europe said: “There are
many reasons why people are into bee-keeping. Some
do it for the honey, others to have a better
[flower] garden and others to be more in touch with
nature. I am fascinated by the behaviour of bees in
the hive.”
Looking around the room, the lack of youth was
obvious, however the Michigan native disagreed with
the contention that the practice of beekeeping was
in decline.
“It’s true that there aren’t many young people
involved in bee-keeping. We have the same problem in
the United States because it’s a very expensive and
time-consuming activity, a good queen bee can cost
over $600. Bee-keeping is still popular with older
people.”
Chairperson of the Foyle Beekeepers, Willie
McMullan, said it was a great honour for the
Greencastle-based club to host a lecture by such a
distinguished entomologist.
“The people in the audience here tonight would know
a lot about bee-keeping, but it’s great to hear from
an expert. Last year, with the wet summer here, the
bees didn’t get much chance to make honey,” said the
Moville man who has kept bees for over 40 years.
PJ Costello, secretary of the 27-member Foyle
Beekeepers Association, said there was great
enthusiasm for beekeeping in Inishowen.
“Foyle beekeepers would have attended the World
Beekeepers seminar in the RDS, Dublin, in 2006 as
well as shows in London. We were able to get Michael
Young, a founder-member of the Northern Ireland
Bee-keepers Association, to organise Dr Colliston’s
visit.” |
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