Urban Beekeeping

Reader Contribution by Lindsay Williamson

I don’t exactly live in the city and my bees aren’t on a rooftop. I’m not that cool. I do have bees though and I also have neighbors on all sides. When I first got into beekeeping, I worried a lot about neighbors and how they might react. Also, being a beginner, I worried that the bees might give them a reason to get upset. So, in hopes of helping and encouraging apprehensive beekeepers that are just starting out, I would like to share some wisdom I gleaned along the way that proved to be really useful.

Set Your Hives Up Early

One of the best tips I received while attending bee school was to set my hives up a month or two before I would install my bees. This allows an opportunity for nervous neighbors to voice their concerns while giving you the opportunity to start a conversation about bees and assure them there is absolutely no threat (there aren’t even bees in those hives yet). You can even give them a look at a hive and explain how it works. After this, they probably won’t even notice when the actual bees arrive.

Educate Your Neighbors About Bees if They Ask

I was pleasantly surprised to realize that most of my neighbors weren’t afraid of the bees as much as they were curious. At this point, most people have heard at least a little something about the plight of the bees and are interested in learning more. It’s a good idea to keep an extra veil and pair of gloves around if you can and invite curious neighbors to get a closer look.  

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