3 Things to Know About Urban Beekeeping

If you looked在你的附近this year and wondered where all the bees went, you’re probably not alone. Researchers conducting a recentreview of biodiversity recordsfound that nearly a quarter of all known bee species haven’t been seen in decades, raising concern (but not concrete proof) that bee biodiversity is shrinking.

Why does that matter? Wildbees help pollinate the vast majority of the plantsthat we use for food, helping to fill a crucial role in their own local ecosystems. Some species will only pollinate one or two “very specific plants” or categories of crops, meaning the plants might not reproduce without their designated bee buddies, according toEve Bratman, a sustainable development professor at Franklin & Marshall College with a focus on pollinators.

In an effort to follow the “save the bees” mantra, some folks turn to the agricultural pursuit of urban beekeeping,tending hivesand harvesting honey from, well, honeybees, which “are really the workhorses of the pollinator community,” saysMichael Simone-Finstrom, who researches the insects for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.

But urban beekeepers can unintentionallyput native pollinators, including wild bees, at a disadvantage因为他们把当地的表亲致命一击ical resources, like nectar, pollen, and habitat. “The concern is that European honeybees will outcompete for scarce resources compared to their native North American cousins,” says Bratman, noting that honeybees are nevertheless crucial for practical domestic agriculture demands.

On top of that, climate change and urbanization-related habitat disturbances can further strain bee populations, especially because many native bees have a very short window to reproduce. See how you can help the bee population and biodiversity thrive with the help of some urban beekeeping know-how.

1. Be aware of the bees

To actually benefit native bees, cultivate an authentic native pollinator habitat. Since not every bee nests the same way, learn what you can do to help bees blossom.

Before you start making any changes to your apartment balcony or building any bee hotels, get the buzz on your local bees. Find out your area’s native species to make sure you’re keeping their needs in mind. Because there are so many bee species, searching around on the internet for specific names may not give you a full picture ofwhat’s in your backyard．Local or regional experts can provide you with information about the needs of native bees in your area.

“Usually a lot of cities or states have agricultural extension agents, they’re usually one of the go-to places [for this type of information],” Simone-Finstrom says. “A state university will usually have a pollinator specialist or a bee specialist, or [at least] one professor that focuses on bees or pollinators.”

Local pollinator gardening groups will also know what local bees find irresistible. “There are really niche native-plant-focused gardening groups that will have a lot of resources and knowledge about appropriate planting choices in any given area,” Bratman says. If you can’t find one in your area, check out federal agencies like the USDA orU.S. Geological Survey’s native bee inventory, or reach out to the volunteers behind community science projects such asBumble Bee Watch．

2. Create a bee hotel

Building a bee hotel is one way to help preserve your neighborhood’s biodiversity. And just like hotels for humans, the sky’s the limit for the size, shape and design of the structure. When developing bee hotels, make sure to provide a variety of hole sizes that will appeal to various bees.

“If you want to encourage a diversity of bees, then it’s important to have several slightly different diameters and depths of holes as well,” Bratman explains. That could mean bundling thin cardboard or bamboo tubes together within a wood frame, or otherwise drilling an assortment of holes into a block of wood about two inches deep.

While the main point is to provide insect shelter, incorporating other natural and unnatural materials alike can help maintain visual interest for humans too, although the actual nesting material should be natural.

“I once hosted a lovely ‘make our own bee hotel’ party, and I brought out a bunch of scrap wood, we all had power drills, and we drilled holes and placed them in interesting ways [into frames],” Bratman says. “We experimented with bundles of bamboo, and some people even built in bricks.” Be cautious when using paints and varnishes, as bees could suffer from neurological issues from off-gassing coatings, she warns.

A bee hotel can be large enough to cover the side of your house or small enough to hang from an apartment complex balcony. Note: Most bees can’t fly above 30 to 40 feet, Bratman says, meaning a bee hotel won’t do much if you’re on the 10th floor of an apartment building.

Regardless of your hotel’s maximum occupancy, it’s important to make sure that the space remains hygienic. While building a bee hotel can be a low-effort activity, maintaining it to prevent diseases, parasites and rot requires some work so it doesn't turn into a hotel from hell.

Clean tubes after bee larvae eggs have hatched, or replace tubes with fresh ones. Compressed air or a pipe cleaner should be sufficient to clean out the holes, according to theEdmonton & Area Land Trust．木头鼓风机cks should also be refreshed every few years, but time any maintenance to when bees have hatched and vacated the hotel.

3. Build a habitat for burrowing bees

Building a bee hotel is one way to boost the native bee population, but since there may be thousands of native bee species in the U.S. alone, not all bees prefer a premade cavity. Sometypes of beesprefer to nestle in the ground, digging their own burrows in appropriate soils.

Bee hotels are “filling an important gap, but there's also a need for grasslands and for slightly disturbed soils so that ground nesting bees can also be part of the mix,” Bratman says.

Many ground nesting bees live “basically in the underground equivalent of a studio apartment building complex,” she explained. “They will burrow into the ground, make a little nest, have multiple entrances and exits, and be right near hundreds of other bees doing the same thing.”

Miami University experts suggest not tilling or walking over soil inhabited by ground nesting bees to prevent it from compacting. Providing loose, well-drained, bare areas of soil can help those bees make a home more easily. You'll also want to allow nativeground-cover plants, as opposed to regular lawn plants, to take over your yard. A bloom-filledtapestry lawnmay be another option. “There's a lot to be said for challenging the aesthetic of the perfect grass lawn, which is essentially a food desert for bees and other pollinators, and encouraging clover and violets and the occasional dandelion and taller grasses as part of an architectural statement that a landscape can be more pollinator friendly,” Bratman adds.

Helping bees also means less heavily-treated mulch, impervious car parking surfaces, and cutting down on lawn mowing during critical periods when your area’s native bees buzz about. If you live in a ground-level apartment or home, consider putting out soil-filled planters to serve as habitat for ground nesters.

Plant biodiversity begets bee biodiversity.

Photo: Jacky Parker