Urban beekeepers sometimes argue that cities are a better environment for keeping bees than the country.
In cities such as Halifax, urban bees feast on an amazing biodiversity of plants. Window boxes, public gardens, blossoming trees, and herb gardens all supply nectar to honey bees. The insects evaporate the water content from this nectar producing a pure, subtle-tasting urban honey.
In some rural areas, pesticides used on agricultural crops affect the health of the bees and, in turn, the honey they produce. This is further compounded as bee hives are commonly transported from farm to farm to pollinate crops.
The suitability of cities to apiculture (the word for keeping bees) is one of the reasons the hobby is taking off. You can find urban bee hives in the world’s largest cities including Paris, London, and even at the White House in Washington DC. And of course, the Ryan Duffy’s city bees are buzzing away on top of the Radisson here in Halifax too!
Resources for starting an urban bee hive:
- Beesources.com where a top beekeeping tip for beginners is to get stung!
- Getting your Nova Scotia Beekeeper and Apiary Registration
- Canadian Honey Council
