In recent years, honeybee hives are becoming more common on roofs, balconies, corporate buildings, and community gardens in cities across the globe. A typical hive can contain about 20,000-50,000 bees. In Washington, D.C., the beekeeping business Alvéole tends approximately 60 hives, which includes one on the roof of the local bureau of Bloomberg. In total, Alvéole takes care of approximately 2,000 hives in 73 cities worldwide. Rooftop hives are also being installed by other companies like Best Bees, Bee Downtown, and Bee2Bee Honey Collective. The hobby has turned into an expanding industry. However, researchers such as Ayers and Rehan are questioning whether cities can support so many managed honeybees without creating new environmental problems.

A Fast-Growing Industry

The winter mortality in urban hives is about 62.5% compared with 40% for rural honeybees. The increase is associated with concerns over pollinator loss and growing interest in locally and sustainably sourced food. Another advantage for honeybees in cities is that there are numerous gardens, parks, trees, and flowering plants. Amara Okonkwo is a Brooklyn beekeeper who started in 2012 and now has over 40 urban honey bees throughout a few cities. She tells her story on the website for Bees in Cities, which offers practical advice on urban beekeeping. The former (higher winter survival) and latter (lower pesticide residues) claims for urban honey, however, need to be backed up by more academic research.

There are a number of benefits to urban beekeeping. Community gardens may be able to produce more food if they use honeybees to pollinate their food crops. Beekeeping can also serve as a means of bringing people together through workshops, visits to the hives, as well as honey tasting sessions. Furthermore, by keeping bees, the desire to plant more flowers and other plants that attract pollinators can be promoted on rooftops, balconies, and neglected urban areas.

Not Everyone Is Convinced

However, some researchers, such as Lanner et al. are concerned about the rapid growth of urban beekeeping. Managed honeybees could have more access to flowers and nectar than previously and might compete for this resource with wild bees. Managed honeybees are also at risk of disease transmission to wild bees. Wild bee species may be smaller, more localized in their habits, and more specialized, so some may be more susceptible when food and appropriate habitats are restricted. The problem is that cities have limited floristic resources. Thousands of managed honeybees can be introduced into an area where wild bees would also benefit from those resources. Thus, increasing the number of honeybees does not necessarily increase the amount of pollination that will be provided to the overall urban ecology.

Where the Trend Goes Next

Cities like Seattle and Minneapolis allow urban beekeeping for now with certain restrictions. In Seattle, honeybee colonies must be registered, and there are regulations regarding the number and location of hives; in Minneapolis, a honeybee permit is required, as well as education, notification of neighbors, and a management plan. Such regulations could be more significant as urban beekeeping grows, to regulate hive density and preserve the health of urban pollinators. Before beginning to keep bees, one should think about joining a local beekeeping association and taking a beginner beekeeping class.