In recent years, it seems that people are rapidly trying to restore nature and integrate it into large cities. One of the ways to make cities more attractive, as well as get additional profit, is city gardens and city beekeeping.
Be it hobby, therapy to get rid of stress, or work, both gardens and hives on the roofs and between buildings are increasingly becoming part of the landscape in some cities with millions of inhabitants. It also makes it possible to independently verify that the honey that is produced in this way is of high quality and genuine.
What is urban beekeeping?
City beekeeping is a way for those who practice it to protect bees from extinction, save the planet and produce their own quality honey. It is based on the installation of beehives in the gardens, parks and roofs of city buildings, so that different people take care of bees and receive honey.
Where did he become popular?
The popularity of urban beekeeping began to grow about ten years ago. It was then that it became known that colonies of bees were sharply reduced.
To stop this potential environmental disaster, a campaign was launched in the United States where people were asked to help as much as possible and build beehives in their gardens and courtyards. This has spread to other countries such as the UK and Germany. Today, more than 50,000 urban bees live in Birmingham, and Berlin has become the capital of urban beekeeping.
Why is beekeeping good on rooftops?
Roof beekeeping is very beneficial for the ecosystem, because urban plants also need to be pollinated. In addition, it is a way to keep bees safe from extinction and act responsibly, it is completely harmless.
How are bees placed and honey extracted?
Now there are the following options for placing bees and extracting honey:
- The traditional system. The traditional beehive consists of a hollow trunk a meter high, has two holes that are covered with stone and sealed with dirt and cow dung. Inside, for the bees to hold the panels, several sticks crosswise are placed at medium height. Since the twentieth century, wooden hives with moving cells, which can be removed to obtain honey, are most often used. They are easier to process than traditional ones and produce more honey.
- Beeco system. This is a bee watching hive designed to make beekeeping a simple hobby. This is an internal or external hive, which is attached to the wall and with which you can form modules of different sizes. With this system you can monitor the work of bees at all times and it is easy to get honey with very little maintenance.
- Honeyflow This is an automatic hive, which we have already talked about. Allows you to remove honey through a tap without opening the hive itself. If you turn the tap, which is located in the hive itself, honey falls into the jug. The extraction process is carried out so smoothly that the bees almost do not notice anything.
Is such honey quality?
Many argue that honey produced in cities is not inferior or even better than that produced in rural areas. This is due to the fact that in cities or places close to cities, there is a wide variety of flowers and trees, less pesticides and herbicides are used, and nests are more protected and safe than in rural areas.
Is urban beekeeping legal?
The beekeeping law should regulate bee breeding and promote the development of this industry.The provisions of the law determine the basic rules regarding the cultivation of honey insects, and also establish the necessary standards for their content in various conditions.
In Spain, there is a norm that governs where and how hives can and should be installed, according to which households that produce honey for personal consumption should not exceed 15 hives. They cannot be installed less than 400 meters from the city grounds. Thus, urban beekeeping is not legal. The final decision depends on the regional administration. For example, urban beekeeping has been successfully practiced in Galicia.
Is urban beekeeping dangerous?
City beekeeping is not dangerous if those who practice it are responsible for the process and carry out all the necessary activities. Ideally, panels and nets are placed around the hives to prevent the risk of bites and other troubles.
In addition, the risk of a bite is minimal if the hive is correctly located, it is properly looked after and all necessary measures are taken.
Typically, bees fly a relatively short distance when it comes to finding food, and bite only to protect themselves. Otherwise, if they do not feel the danger, the person is under full protection and he is not in danger. If the person responsible for the bees knows what he is doing, beekeeping is a valuable activity for the environment that benefits the community.