7 minute read
Urban Bee Keeping
BY ALBERT MONDOR, HORTICULTURIST AND BIOLOGIST
The fate of humanity is linked to pollinating insects. More than three-quarters of plants grown by humans depend directly on different species of pollinators. Indeed, without bees, bumblebees, and other insects, such as butterflies and hoverflies, many edible plants could not produce the seeds and fruits we eat.
Bees are essential to human survival.
Apricots, almonds, cherries, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, kiwis, melons, peaches, watermelons, pears, peppers, apples, plums, tomatoes, and sunflower seeds are produced through pollination by bees and other insects. Without pollinators, our plates would be empty.
Thousands of bee species
Most pollinating insects. like this bumblebee, can be approached and observed without fear to be stung.
For many people, pollinators have black and yellow stripes; many of us are not able to differentiate between wasps and bees. Some people also believe that only honeybees pollinate plants. There are more than 20,000 species of bees on our planet and many bees sport colours besides black and yellow; some are green or orange, while others are white. Among the various species of bees, the majority have adopted a solitary way of life, while others, like the honeybee, live in a community.
Leafcutter bees are solitary insects that are important pollinators.
Some animals such as birds and bats pollinate plants, but insects are by far the most important pollinators. Certain plant species, such as magnolias, are pollinated by beetles. Other plants, such as carnations, are pollinated mainly by butterflies, while plants belonging to the carrot family, such as fennel, are pollinated by insects called hoverflies, a close relative to flies. To a lesser extent, flies and ants can also contribute to pollination. Nevertheless, bees and bumblebees are the best pollinators, and the honeybee is unquestionably one of the most important pollinators of all.
Bees are having a hard time
Due to their sociability and interdependence in the colony, bees are vulnerable. The decimation of the bee population would have dramatic ecological consequences for floral and faunal biodiversity, and this would also have a severe impact on the agricultural economy. Indeed, honeybees are indispensable both for agriculture and for the balance and functioning of natural ecosystems.
In many parts of the world, there has been a significant decline in honeybee populations and wild bee diversity in recent years, to the point where it is of grave concern to the global scientific community. The causes advanced to explain this decline are the use of synthetic pesticides, the intensification of agriculture, the fragmentation and loss of natural habitats, climate change, as well as the prevalence of parasites, including the infamous Varroa mite, diseases, and other pathogens in hives.
Urban bees are not so bad
Although surprising, urban bees can find multiple nectar sources in urban settings. Parks and private gardens are favourite places where bees can forage nectar-rich flowers in abundance.
Some recent scientific studies done in France have shown that the honey produced by urban bees is of excellent quality. These studies show that urban honey contains very few pesticides compared to that produced in rural settings. Honey produced in cities is also free of various heavy metals such as lead.
In contrast, urban bees are more exposed than their rural counterparts to various air pollutants, including soot and dust from coal combustion and diesel engines. These pollutants settle on plants and can sometimes poison foraging bees.
Thus, according to some beekeepers, the absence of pesticides in the cities and the fabulous plant biodiversity found there help make good quality honey, but urban settings can still be toxic environments for bees.
If you want to raise honeybees at home, check with the authorities of your municipality first to see if regulations allow the installation of hives on its territory.
It is also essential to respect regulations regarding the location of hives. In some US states and Canadian provinces, hives must be placed at a minimum distance of 15 metres from a public road or house. On the other hand, a hive can be installed closer to a street or a residence if the land on which it is located is surrounded by a fence that is at least 2.5 metres high. In some countries, it is mandatory to register your beehive with the Department of Agriculture and write your name and address on it.
The number of hives must be determined according to the reserve of nectar available. If there are too many hives in one place, it can harm native bee species. Therefore, it is essential to consider other colonies nearby. That is why it is better to install your hive in collaboration with a specialist beekeeper who will use the tools at his disposal to locate other hives.
It is necessary to place your hive in a sunny and dry place, sheltered from winds. It is also crucial to put it in a quiet environment where there is little activity so that the flight path of the bees does not cross places where people frequently move. In dense urban environments, tall fences or shrubs can be placed to direct the flight path of bees more than 2.5 metres above the ground and make the hive less visible from the vicinity.
Honeybees love bee balm nectar.
It is essential that bees have permanent access to a source of clean water near the location of their hive (water garden, pond, etc.). Where possible, it is desirable to locate the hive near a natural water source such as a river or lake and to avoid bees causing inconvenience by being attracted to swimming pools in the neighbourhood.
The care of a colony of bees is not complicated or tedious. It involves making visits to the hive at regular intervals, not exceeding 15 days. In critical periods, such as during the swarming season, for example, visits should be a little more frequent. Keep a diary in which you briefly describe when you visited and what activities were done.
Manipulate the hive in sunny weather in the late morning or early afternoon. Proceed as quickly as possible while remaining calm and disturbing the bees as little as possible. To reduce the aggressiveness of bees, avoid handling the hive when there is a lot of human activity in the vicinity or when it is cold or rainy outside. Use a smoker and proper protective clothing when handling.
Finally, it is essential to prevent swarming, a phenomenon where the queen and some of the workers leave the hive to form a new colony. The best way to avoid this problem is to ensure that the colony never runs out of space. Replacing the queen every year or every two years also helps to reduce the risk of swarming.
Nectar-rich plants and insect hotels
There are two other actions to take if you want to host pollinating insects in your garden. If you grow edible plants, it is advisable to accompany them with plants whose flowers produce nectar. The latter will attract various pollinating insects, which will increase the quantity and quality of vegetables and fruits produced.
In addition to being very useful, an insect hotel is a real work of art that is a focal point in a garden!
Grow plants belonging to the Asteraceae family (yarrow, aster, cosmos, daisy, rudbeckia, marigold, etc.), Lamiaceae (lavender, mint, bee balm, sage, thyme, etc.) and Apiaceae (dill, angelica, coriander, fennel, etc.). These plants produce abundant nectar much appreciated by pollinating insects. Whether they are indigenous or non-native plants, bees prefer the flowers that produce the most nectar.
Fennel is particularly prized by hoverflies.
It can also be very interesting to create and install an insect hotel in your garden or on your terrace. It is a wooden structure with a roof containing various materials such as logs, pieces of wood, or hollow bamboo, bark, bricks, and pots where insects can reproduce, rest, or hibernate during the cold season.
The hollow stems of certain plants such as bamboo will attract solitary bees such as cutting bees and mason bees. You can also install bricks if their openings are filled with mud, which, once dry, will allow some species of pollinating insects to dig galleries. Simple logs pierced with holes of varying diameters (3mm to 14mm) also provide shelter for various critters.
