Urban Beekeeping: The Ins, The Outs, The Benefits

Published on September 15, 2021

Have you wanted to start beekeeping but live in an urban area and don’t know where to start? Are you scared you don’t have enough space or bees won’t find enough flowers near you? You may think that urban beekeeping is harder to achieve and not as realistic as beekeeping in rural areas-we are happy to tell you that is not true! Beepods is here to help you with all things urban beekeeping starting with the basics.

Why Urban Beekeeping?

Like we mentioned above, bees are rockstars and they help the planet in so many ways and we knew that they could help urban areas. We want to encourage individuals and cities to take a closer look into urban beekeeping and all of its benefits. Beekeeping would be a great idea for cities looking for sustainable economic growth. Contrary to what many may think, bees survival rate in urban areas is higher than rural areas. They are less susceptible to pesticides, greater access to biodiversity which results in a varied diet, strengthening their immune system. How can cities argue when they will make money and save the bees? BEEts us!

As for personal benefits, well, where do we start! As much as we discuss the global impact that bees and beekeeping make on the world, it also impacts individuals and families. At Beepods, we find going out and checking on customer’s hives allows us to take a breather and step away from the hustle. It gets us outdoors, which we love, and gives us a chance to slow down and appreciate what we are doing. Beekeeping is a great teacher mentally, spiritually and physically for a lot of people and it is a great learning skill for everyone.

Learning about the effects beekeeping has on biodiversity is also extremely important. As far as biodiversity is concerned,

even though it may seem like bees would have more access to flowering plants in rural areas, a study was done led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research and these scientists found that the most successfully pollinated plants were those in rural cities. On top of that, modern monoculture farming exposes honey bees to pesticides and a less diverse range of plants. In the city, there are suitable habitats, good nesting opportunities in soils and this all ensures the quality health and food supply for the bees.

How Do I Start?

You have to first ask yourself, is this really something that you want to be doing? Go through a checklist in your mind-Why do you want to keep bees? What time and resources are you willing to commit? You must clarify those details because it will help guide you in your decision making process, especially if you are a newbie. At Beepods, we also give you a mental checklist similar to the questions above. The most important thing to understand when considering beekeeping is that it is a wonderful thing but it does take time, effort and resources. We are here to help you and offer you support mechanisms and full maintaining/support plans but there is commitment needed from both ends.

After being confident that this is something you want to do and have the resources to do, you can start by checking all of the laws surrounding your local area. There are some cases where the hives need to be licensed and regular inspections need to occur to check for any diseases. In the U.S. most states do require you to have an Apiary license as well. At Beepods, we have a beekeeping ordinance course that you can take that will help you with this step. Once you have all the legal (boring) stuff worked out, you can get to beekeeping!

You will want to check your surrounding area for starters. We all know that bees can be territorial over their hive so it will be a good idea to place your beepod away from pathways and where there are less people. Make sure to let any neighbors know you will be placing a beepod nearby so that everything goes smoothly (you know how neighbors can get sometimes). For placement, a garden is optimal but we know we are telling you about urban beekeeping here. If you do not have a small garden or a garden nearby and live in an apartment then the rooftop of your apartment would be a great place to start. There is little foot traffic and enough space for the bees to be able to go out and forage.

Once you have a location and have checked legal and neighborhood regulations then you are ready to order your bees and beepod. Luckily, we are seasoned professionals here at Beepods and have worked with urban beekeepers before so it is safe to say we know what we are doing! It is simple, all you have to do is contact us here and we will get you set up. Our entire mission is to find new and creative ways to increase the fidelity of honey bees around the world and we love doing it through urban beekeeping. We knew that urban beekeeping could make such a difference because bees contribute to biodiversity through pollination, they serve as food for other insects and they also will help improve the ecosystem.

If you are interested in beekeeping and live in an urban area, this is your sign to start today. You never know how beekeeping could enlighten you, your friends or your family. It could unlock new skills and learning experiences for every person involved. Don’t hesitate, reach out to us at info@beepods.com and you will be an expert in no time.

Links:

Why Cities Should Invest

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/why-cities-should-invest-beekeeping/1093071/

Pollination Is Better in Cities

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200129091438.htm

Beekeeping Tips

https://www.grit.com/animals/bees/urban-beekeeping-tips/