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Urban Beekeeping

Urban beekeeping or urban apiculture is the practice of keeping bee colonies in urban or city areas. It may also be referred to as 'hobby beekeeping' or 'backyard beekeeping'. Studies have shown that bees from city apiaries are "healthier and more productive than their country cousins".[1] This is because these ‘urban bees’ experience warmer temperatures and have access to a diversity of agriculture. They are also equipped to filter out city pollution and can avoid the harmful effects caused by crop pesticides usually found in the country or rural farming areas. Furthermore, their presence provides cities with environmental benefits through pollination advocacy and economic benefits as local food systems create employment and increase food security.

Bees pollinate a wide variety of plants, and the honey they produce is often sold to local restaurants, shops[2] or farmer’s markets.  Most cities in North America at one time prohibited the keeping of bees, but in recent years beekeepers have had success in overturning bee bans. Many urban areas now regulate beekeeping.[2]

The popularity of urban beekeeping was growing rapidly c. 2012[2], perhaps due to its inclusion in the local food movement.[3] Between 1999 and 2012, London saw a 220% increase in beekeepers.[4] The number of urban beehives varies greatly from city to city, and official counts may be inaccurate as hives are often not registered. As most cities have limited greenspaces, the increasing popularity of the hobby may lead to lower honey yields as has been reported in London[5] and New York City.[6] According to a 2015 research study, urban environments favour viability and transmission of disease agents that affect honey bees and may be a contributing factor to their diseases.[7]

Beekeeper in an apiary

Concerns about Urban Beekeeping

Some of the concerns of the introduction of urban beekeeping practises include a reduced number of bees available for crop and wild flower pollination as well as the chance that amateur beekeepers may “harm the honeybee population by unknowingly allowing a diseased colony to die out and infect other healthy colonies nearby. Further concerns are that the close proximity of residents in urban settings makes it possible for beekeeping to be a nuisance to the community, making the beekeeper liable for any injury the bees inflict on neighbours. To respond to this problem many city authorities have required urban beekeepers to register their beehives, a high proportion of urban beekeepers fail to inform city regulators making issues difficult to track and deal with.

Besides upset urbanites complaining of numerous painful stings, which might lead to allergic reactions, another problem created by a surfeit of bees is swarming[8] . Swarming occurs when a queen leaves an overcrowded colony with a retinue of workers to start her own.

Urban Beekeeping Cities

Vancouver

Often regarded as a green and sustainable city, the City of Vancouver has recognized hobby beekeeping in residential areas by issuing guidelines and requiring hives to be registered.[27]

Organizations supporting best practices for urban beekeeping in Vancouver include the Strathcona Beekeepers Association, a small band of beekeepers situated in Strathcona, Vancouver.[28] Nearby beekeepers can benefit from their expertise and also borrow equipment.[28]

In Vancouver, Vancouver Convention Centre[29] and Vancouver City Hall[30] are two places where bees are kept.

Beekeeping Services in Vancouver

Environmental Youth Alliance

A locally owned company that teaches youth how to care for the environment. Two of the workshops they offer consist of a beekeeping program and a pollinator science course.

Pollinator Citizen Science

A three-month program made up of 30 individuals between the ages of (15-30). The program entails youth learning about pollinators and then working with local parks in the area to practice their knowledge.

Honey comb

Youth Beekeeping Internship

A three-month program involving 30 individuals between the ages of (15-30). Interns receive seven days of teaching with a beekeeping instructor from Langara College. Additionally, youth get a chance to practice their newly acquired beekeeping techniques at Strathcona Community Garden.

Hives For Humanity

Founded in September 2012 and now operating over 100 hives in Vancouver, Hives For Humanity combines beekeeping and helping those in need specifically in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Hives For Humanity offers a variety of services and programs:

• Neighbourhood Honey Program: Teaches people about extracting honey by using hives in local neighbourhoods all across Vancouver. The honey that is collected is then used to fund the Hive For Humanity Therapeutic Beekeeping Program, which is also dedicated to working with vulnerable communities in Vancouver.
• Workshops and Presentations: Hives for Humanity offers workshops and presentations to educate others on beekeeping. The company allows clients to pay “what they feel is right.”
• Swarm Rescue: A removal service of a honey bee nest.
• Consultations: Hives for Humanity offers consultation services for others looking to implement new beekeeping initiatives.

Fairmont Bee Sustainable

• Honeybees: In 2008, Fairmont started placing beehives on hotel rooftop gardens. Today the hotel franchise operates global beekeeping initiatives at over 20 properties. Both Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver and Fairmont Vancouver Airport have hives either attached to the hotel or residing nearby. At Fairmont Waterfront, hotel guests are treated to a guided tour of the hives and gardens. Currently, the Fairmont Vancouver Airport houses “one million honey bees [...] who produce about 2,400 pounds of honey.” At the Fairmont Waterfront 500,000 bees work together to “produce 600-800 pounds of honey per year.” The honey produced by the hives is then used by the hotel’s Chef’s in various cuisines. Furthermore, In 2014, Fairmont started building bee hotels to help attract wild mason bees, as it has been suggested that bee hotels “favour non-native species of bees and wasps over our native species.” In 2015, Fairmont Waterfront then partnered with Hives For Humanity to create a bee pollinator hotel.

Langara Sustainable Urban Beekeeping

A certificate in Sustainable Urban Beekeeping is currently offered at Langara College. The certificate entails 6 courses along with 36 hours of teaching. Upon completion of the course, individuals should among other things be able to manage disease control in hives, learn beekeeping strategies, as well as learning to differentiate between bees and

wasps.

Montreal

[Section Taken directly from the Urban Beekeeping Wikipedia]

Montreal's beehives are regulated by a governmental agency called MAPAQ, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Quebec). This agency enforces a set of regulations surrounding the installation of a beehive in order to protect the health of colonies, but these rules are rarely restrictive enough to deter or discourage committed hobbyists.

The Westmount Library, a locus of learning and community, has a public honeybee hive on its roof featuring live inspections every two weeks during the summer months for kids, parents, and the elderly. Montreal Botanical Gardens hosts honeybees as a part of their summer expositions with introductory workshops and daily tour groups.

As part of their 135th anniversary, Birks Group installed three honeybee hives on the roof of their downtown headquarters in Montreal.

In the summer of 2014, the Accueil Bonneau homeless facility launched a pilot project introducing their itinerant community to the art of beekeeping as a means of re-engaging them in a fulfilling and meaningful hobby.

Most of the public beekeeping initiatives stem from companies offering beekeeping services that make it more accessible to urban dwellers, such as Alveole, Apiguru, or Miel Montreal. The move towards a comprehensive approach to producing local produce is part of why beekeeping is becoming more and more popular in this metropolitan city.

Beekeeping Services in Montreal

Alvéole

Alvéole was founded in Montreal 2012, with services offered in Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto. Alvéole currently offers four services:

• Home: Alvéole will help install as well as teach you the fundamentals of beekeeping in your own home. Alvéole then encourages you to come to one of their honey extraction demos to learn how to harvest your own honey.
• Schools

Urban Beekeeper with apiaries

Alvéole teaches their beekeeping practices in schools - starting as young as primary school, all the way to university. Alvéole’s program for schools consists of three workshops: learning about bees and the environment, “hive opening and queen discovery,” as well as honey tasting and hive extraction.”

• Classes: Additionally Alvéole offers two instructional courses on beekeeping. The first level teaches students the basics of beekeeping such as buying and installing a hive as well as honey extraction. The second level teaches more in-depth issues related to beekeeping such as swarming and maintaining your hive during winter.
• Businesses: Alvéole also offers beehive installation for companies. As part of their service to businesses, the company teaches employees about beekeeping in two workshops. To date Alvéole has installed beehives for clients such as: “RBC, Lush Cosmetics, ALDO shoes [and] Cirque du Soleil.”

Apiguru Inc.

Is another company in Montreal devoted to beekeeping. Apiguru Inc. offers three services:

• Bee Care: Apiguru  offers three levels of consultations for beekeepers. Each level of consultation involves a visit to the customer’s beehive. With additional benefits such as text consultation for a higher fee.
• Hive Rentals: Apiguru offers the option of renting a beehive from them.
• Apiary Setup: Apiguru also offers a beehive installation service.

External links

• http://eya.ca A direct link to Environmental Youth Alliance website
• https://hivesforhumanity.com A direct link to the Hives for Humanity Website