Meet the ADBKA Committee members

David Morland – Committee member since May 2014, Vice Chair and now Acting Chair.

After many years as Chair, Newsletter editor, Apiary manager and latterly Manager of
association beekeeping supplies Graham Torrie has decided to take a well-deserved rest and I now take over as acting chair until the annual general meeting in May.

Graham’s many responsibilities have been shared within the committee and supported by many of our ADBKA membership. The association has over 200 members and to enlighten our membership to our new roles within the committee we thought it would be appropriate to outline the new tasks some of our committee members now share, and introduce ourselves. Many of the existing committee members are continuing to offer sterling service and continue to hold key roles within our association and their contribution is much appreciated and we rely on them greatly.

I joined the ADBKA in the year 2000 and the same year I started keeping bees with two colonies that I got from Jock McGregor which were in Smith hives. My apiary has now grown to eight colonies in National hives which I keep on reclaimed landfill sites. I have tried different types of queen over the years and have found the Buckfast surprisingly well adapted to our climate, although I know there is keen interest in increasing the Native black bee population in the area.

I have been a committee member since May 2014.  I have studied and passed many of the Scottish Beekeepers Modules including Microscopy and intend to sit Module 8 and the practical test.

My main reason for keeping bees is to promote beekeeping, preserve honeybee stocks
and enjoy the pleasure of working with them and learning about them. Honey production is an occasional reward.

My Grandfather was Head of the Bee unit at Rothamsted Research, in the 1930s, which
is one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world, having been founded in 1843.

My father kept bees for some years until my youngest brother poked one of the hives with a stick and was very badly stung in his hair and on the face, with the result that he had to go to the hospital.