NYC Bees? Information for the new NYC Beekeeper

Tips for keeping NYC bees

n a time when hobbies tend to be less physical and more related to the virtual worlds we created through technology, beekeeping could be a simple solution for encouraging individuals to spend more time outside in the sun, engaged in something that is equally challenging and rewarding. Surprisingly, the activity of tending after honeybees is not limited to the countryside or the quiet suburbs. In NYC, beekeeping is gradually gathering momentum as more and more hives find a comfortable home in one of the most unlikely places – the noisy crowded metropolis.

Keeping bees in NYC seems like a recipe for disaster. With so many confusing lights, smells, and sounds, the small insects can easily be imagined as stressed up to the point of attacking the first pedestrian that gets in their way. Fortunately, URBAN beekeeping is entirely safe, if carried out obeying a set of basic rules. The first is to position the hives as a far away as possible from roads, sidewalks, and places of public gathering, as well as from any neighbor who might not feel comfortable with insects buzzing around the front yard. Fences and dense plant barriers are great ideas to isolate beekeeping from any activity it might interfere with.

Providing the NYC bees with a consistent source of water is another great way to make sure they will not wander where they are not allowed. Lastly, the presence of hives should be marked with warning signs, informing both neighbors and strangers that they shouldn’t be alarmed to see a large number of laborious insects flying around in the area. Beekeeping turns into something fun and safe if all the above conditions are met.

NYC bees benefit from NYC regulation

Like in most cities throughout the country, beekeeping is a regulated activity. NYC made it legal for people to own bees in NYC since 2014, and the decision opened the door for an increasing number of urban dwellers to experiment with an alternative lifestyle. However, the hobby didn’t hide itself in obscurity. Hives have been installed at places like Green-Wood Cemetary. In addition, public schools acquired hives to offer students live demonstrations. New beekeepers need a permit to keep bees in New York City. However, a NYC beekeeping registration is required. In addition, any honeybee colonies, as well as second-hand equipment acquired from another state should ideally have a health certificate attesting they are free from known contagious disease. Such safety precautions are needed because honeybees are highly vulnerable to diseases. As NYC bees encounter members of other honeybee colonies on a regular basis, disease can easily spread and affect important percentages of the local population. Despite the regulations, some urban beekeepers of the NYC area carry out their activity without informing the authorities, or acknowledging the risks.

Honeybees Benefit from good forage in NYC

NYC boasts excellent opportunities for new beekeepers. Not only is the activity legal, but the city offers a diverse flora for the honeybees to be productive. It might sound surprising, but urban environments offer, a couple of times more flowering plants than suburban and rural areas. Parks, public gardens, and even balconies, all of them offers bees enough opportunities to harvest pollen as successfully as they usually do in the countryside. Linden and goldenrod are among the top nectar plants the bees can enjoy in NYC, a clue to what periods of the year are the most productive, and when honey should be expected. Cities also make a great home for bees because average temperatures throughout the winter months tend to be less harsh than in the open land. Normally, colonies are particularly vulnerable throughout the winter, but the risk is reduced considerably if they reside in the city. Never too far from a warm temporary shelter or a source of water, bees can risk longer and more daring journeys in search of the precious nectar.

Bees in NYC and other cities may do better than country bees

Numerous studies have shown that bees like NYC bees tend to live longer in the cities than their countryside peers. In addition, their colonies are more productive. So far, the most widely accepted explanation lies in the absence of pesticides. Without commercial crops, cities that appear polluted and barren to us offer a surprising haven for the industrious insects. Throughout the last couple of years, there have been intensive talks about a problem known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Worker bees die in vast numbers, leaving the colony without the vital workforce that keeps it going. Possible causes for the bizarre phenomenon include the large-scale use of pesticides in modern agriculture and climate change. From this angle, urban beekeeping can be seen as a great way to counteract the steady decline and raise awareness amongst the public. If the worrying trend continues, bees will definitely need help in order to survive as a species on the long-term. The more people embrace urban beekeeping as a hobby, the more they will be motivated to press the local authorities and the government to pledge themselves towards finding a solution.

One of the most important aspect of NYC beekeeping is creating what is called a “highway in the sky.” NYC bees are always on the move and they should be provided with a clear path connecting their harvesting grounds with their home. Of vital importance is to make sure the access to the hive is not obstructed and that the insects do not travel through crowded areas to reach their final destination. Rooftop hives are an excellent solution, as NYC bees are free to choose their path with little to no contact with what happens below. Guided by their impressive inner compass, they are capable of retracing their steps repeatedly throughout the day with maximum accuracy.

By far the biggest concern when keeping a hive in an urban environment is that of swarming, the process that splits the colony when the queen leaves taking with it most of the worker bees. In search of a new home, the insects appear restless while travelling in packed formations. Such a sight can create panic amongst pedestrians not used with seeing so many bees in one place. The good news is that swarming can be successfully controlled so that is not a nuisance for those living near the hive. Asking advice from a professional can help any novice beekeeper deal with this delicate aspect in an elegant manner.

NYC Bees help urban dwellers realize nature is closer than we think

Urban beekeeping still has some ground to conquer before the general public can accept it. From the comfort offered by modern life, the insects are still viewed as a foreign invader, as a source of chaos, buzzing, and painful stings. It shouldn’t be like that. If done correctly, urban beekeeping can go completely unnoticed and without causing any discomfort.

Every new NYC beekeeper should know that the activity is becoming increasingly popular around the world, as more cities aim to score points in terms of sustainability and green policies. Well-known for their vital role in an ecosystem, bees are a symbol of vitality. Urban hives suggest communities are more open than ever to make a return towards the organic and locally grown and abandoned the often-unreliable quality of industrialized products. Businesses alike spotted the potential and invested in beekeeping as a way of distinguishing themselves from the pack. Herb gardens and other green retreats are a great way to integrated beekeeping in the customer experienced.

Sharing the same passion brings people closer. A hobby like beekeeping makes communities stronger not only because it recreates a powerful tie with the natural world, but also because it encourages cooperation and exchange. By signing up to meet-up groups, newcomers can get their hives up and running while making friends in the process. Associations specialized in urban beekeeping are the perfect place to seek support and share experiences. After all, human society as a whole works pretty much guided by the same basic underlying mechanism found in a bee colony. For the young ones especially, beekeeping can offer a first glimpse into the responsibilities that lie ahead of them in adulthood.

Once it passes a standardized quality check, NYC honey produced inside the city can be sold on the local market, helping save air miles with transport, and encouraging communities to be more self-reliant. For the casual beekeeper, honey meant for personal consumption is the ultimate motivator to embrace the hobby.