A beekeeper discovered that his late grandfather’s long-lost beehives were abandoned in a quarry, but the bee colony thrived and flourished, growing into a community of millions of bees.
Ross Main, 36, grew up alongside his grandfather William Main, who was a beekeeper and gamekeeper, often taking his grandson along to inspect his bees. When William passed away from cancer in 2007, Ross believed the beehives had been sold. However, in 2015, after the birth of his own son, Ross had the idea to search for his grandfather’s beehives.
Starting from his home in Fife, Scotland, Ross visited the East Lothian quarry where his grandfather used to keep the bees. To his amazement, he found an active bee colony still residing in the original beehive, thriving over the years.
The beehive was located hundreds of meters down an old road lined with gorse bushes.
Inspired by this discovery, Ross embarked on a self-taught journey into beekeeping, starting with the bees from his grandfather’s original hive. Equipped with beekeeping gear and new hives, he carefully transferred the bee colony to their new home.
He then expanded the colony to have around 5 million bees, dividing them into approximately 100 hives – all descendants of his grandfather’s bees.
Ross’s company, Main’s Apiaries, now harvests honey three times a year and sells it to numerous farm shops.
“When I was young, my grandfather kept bees, and I was around 8 to 10 years old, which was amazing,” Ross said.
“Being around bees can be scary because there are so many of them, and I was young, but it really sparked my imagination.
“After he passed away, I didn’t know what happened to the beehives. Seven years later, out of nostalgia, I went to the quarry where the beehives were still there.
“At that moment, I knew I wanted to care for the hives and relocate the bees, so I started learning from there.
“I had zero beekeeping experience before that. I was always next to the bees, my grandad showed me how to deal with and handle bees. He also opened up the hives and showed me the honey – but didn’t explain the process because I was too young to understand.
“I forgot all that knowledge after he passed away, so I started beekeeping as a complete novice. It was winter, so I had to wait until spring to see if they were still active.
“The beehive itself had rotted – the wood was really old and falling apart. I had to figure out how to move the bees into a new hive.
“The internet was a godsend. I spent weeks watching YouTube videos and learning how to do everything.
“I started with one hive, and they naturally multiplied every year. Over the years, they gradually built up, and we’ve split them into new hives.”
As he gained more expertise in the craft, Ross expanded his bee community and shared honey with friends and family. He eagerly shared his experiences with anyone interested.
In 2021, he took the next step and started his business, Main’s Apiaries.
Aside from selling honey, Ross also provides beekeeping experiences for those interested in learning the craft. He sells bee colonies to businesses interested in hosting beehives on their land, personally maintaining the hives weekly to ensure the bee colonies thrive.
“At the beginning, I wanted to produce honey locally, which is still our main goal, but to make it a viable business, we have to diversify,” he said.
“We started offering beekeeping experiences to people. I introduce everyone to how beekeeping works and demonstrate how to take care of bees comfortably and responsibly.
“A lot of people interested in beekeeping came — they can see if they can take care of bees before investing and purchasing their own kit.
“We also offer the opportunity for companies to host beehives on their land. They have the hives and bees, and we do maintenance year-round.
“They support local biodiversity and promote a healthy ecosystem.
“I do beekeeping demos, so I’m very keen on getting employees out during lunch breaks to get them involved in hive upkeep.
“The idea of showing others… it all started from the first time my grandfather took me to see bees. He opened the hive and it was truly a magical experience being around those bee colonies. It’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I want to offer that to others.
“Many people are initially scared, but then they see that bees aren’t as frightening as they thought, and you can handle them very calmly.”
Nine years after saving his grandfather’s beehive, Ross says he doesn’t regret learning this craft on his own and believes his grandfather would be proud of his achievements.
“At the start, I had no experience at all, but now, nine years later, I have a lot of experience,” Ross said.
“I self-taught everything, and it worked out well. I made a lot of mistakes, and I’m open to those starting out, they will make mistakes as they progress, but that’s the only way you learn.
“It feels really good, and I’m very proud to carry on my grandfather’s legacy. I’m just very sorry that he can’t see all of this.
“He left too early, and it’s heartbreaking. Two months before he passed away, he was still out and about – he was an amazing person.
“I’m very satisfied with what we’ve achieved from this beehive.”