The Buzz About Backyard Bees
by Wendy Priesnitz
 There’s a buzz in the air these days…and it’s being caused by the
growing number of bees living in cities. Since the mysterious collapse
of bee colonies a few years ago, an army of urban beekeepers are
striving to rescue the population, one bee at a time, because they’re
worried about the environmental impact of fewer pollinators.
Some people
have blamed the colony collapse disorder phenomenon on the large,
commercial beekeeping operations with their overworked colonies and use
of pesticides. Others focus on mites and diseases that the chemicals are
supposed to conquer, in the same way that factory hog or cattle farms
are susceptible to diseases. Other urban beekeepers value the one
hundred or so pounds of honey a hive can produce in a good year and
cultivate bees in the same way they’d grow organic veggies and fruit.
Beekeeping is a relatively inexpensive hobby and is more common in
the city than you might think. It takes up very little space, with
stackable hives that are about one foot square. Urban beekeepers
typically keep their hives in their backyards, but some are kept on city
roof-tops, such as the roof of downtown Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York
Hotel. Bees can travel several miles to collect nectar and pollen, so
they do not need flowering plants close by. As long as you practice good
hive hygiene, your involvement can be as limited as you wish, since bees
are pretty self-sufficient creatures. Then, once a year, you’ll have to
get involved with the honey harvesting process, which is time consuming
and messy. That involves removing the bees from the hive, removing the
honey-holding wax from the frames, extracting the honey from the wax and
jarring the honey.
The Challenges
However, there are challenges. In the city, these include jittery neighbors,
vandals and by-laws banning the activity. Outright bans seem to be rarer than
those banning livestock such as chickens, but some places have put practical
constraints on beekeeping, such as limiting the number of hives, regulating the
distance from property line and requiring that the beekeeper provide water for
the bees (which you should do anyway, since they’re thirsty critters). And then
there are mites and parasites, which can be a problem no matter where your
colony is located.
Neighbors’ fears can be the biggest obstacle for urban beekeepers to
overcome. Many people think that bees are vicious and just hang around waiting
to sting people, so they worry about the safety of their children. A little
education can help in this regard, since honeybees are vegetarian – unlike
wasps, which are meat eaters – and prefer nectar from flowers to human blood.
Bees only sting when they sense that their hive or their young are in danger –
and that’s often triggered by quick or threatening movements. That’s why
beekeeping is a slow, methodical, almost meditative process – something urban
beekeepers value about their avocation. Refraining from working with your bees
while the neighbors are having a party or mowing their lawn, and when the
temperature is cool, will help ensure the bees stay calm and minimize the
chances of an angry colony member stinging someone.
Some urban beekeepers would rather their neighbors not even know about their
hobby and resort to stealth techniques. They plant greenery in front of their
hives and camouflage them with paint. Privacy fences and high hedges are also
popular. And high fences can do more than hide the hives; bees normally travel
in a straight path to their hive (hence, the term “beeline”) and constructing a
fence (or locating the hives on a flat roof) forces their flight path upwards.
That reduces the chance that people will see the bees or collide with them and
get stung. Providing a source of water, such as a small pond, will keep your
bees out of your neighbor’s dog’s drinking bowl or swimming pool.
Getting Started
The first thing to do if you want to keep bees is to learn everything you can
about bees and beekeeping. Since you’ll likely start in the spring, winter is a
good time to educate yourself. Your local library will probably have some books
on the subject (see the sidebar for some suggestions) or a DVD. There are also
some good internet sites for beginning beekeepers.
You can buy starter hive equipment from one of a number of manufacturers and
mail order firms that have websites. A complete hive involves a metal covered
top, an inner cover, a bottom board, two ten-frame hive bodies and a queen
excluder. Although bees like to settle where a colony has been established
previously, you should be cautious when buying used equipment. Check its
condition carefully and be sure it’s been examined for the possibility of
disease. A new starter kit can cost anywhere from US$150 to $300. You’ll also
need a bee smoker, coveralls and a bee veil and gloves. You’ll also need to buy
jars for the honey and to rent an extractor machine to remove the honey from the
comb.
As for the bees, you can buy a three-pound starter box of package bees
(15,000 bees and one queen) from a mail order bee supplier for around $100. You
could also buy an established colony with all equipment from a local beekeeper
or have the beekeeper install a swarm in your purchased hive.
It’s always a good idea to find someone with experience to help you get
started and provide advice along the way. Writing in Bee Culture Magazine, Larry
Connor has this advice for the novice urban beekeeper:
“There are many beekeeping organizations around the country that conduct
beekeeping classes in the winter and spring. Most folks start their first hive
in the springtime. If you decide to do this, find someone who will mentor you in
your training as a beekeeper. It will probably take you several years to learn
enough to feel comfortable keeping bees, but it is a great part-time activity,
and people of all ages are in beekeeping classes, from school students to
retirees.”
Learn More
Beekeeping For Dummies by Howland Blackiston (John Wiley & Sons,
2009)
The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Bees in
Your Yard and Garden by Kim Flottum (Quarry Books, 2005)
The Beekeeper’s Handbook, Third Edition by Alphonse Avitabile and
Diana Sammataro (Cornell University Press, 2006)
The Original Langstroth On The Hive And The Honey-Bee: The World’s
Foremost Bee Keeper’s Manual by L. L. Langstroth (CreateSpace, 2009)
The Backyard Beekeeper’s Honey Handbook: A Guide to Creating, Harvesting,
and Cooking with Natural Honeys by Kim Flottum (Quarry Books, 2009)
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