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Beehives do not require a large amount of space to thrive, it’s more so the beekeeper who needs the space. As a general rule, 10 sqr ft per hive will suffice.
However many you want! In nature, honeybee colonies don’t settle in groups. A colony with abundant, clean forage in the nearby area will have no problem building up strength and surviving on its own. That being said, we recommend you start with at least two hives. With two hives, the weaker of the two hives can be supported by the stronger hive via the beekeeper. This increases the success and survival rate of your hives.
Urban Bee LLC is committed to growing healthy pollinator populations, as well as educating the public on our precious pollinators. We support organic, biodynamic methodologies that help breed superior honeybee colonies. Through our business, we are driven to educate the public, positively impact the environment, and provide an imperative resource for food and agriculture. Finally, as a Michigan business, we prefer in-state vendors whenever possible. So, working with us also means helping support your local economy!
The strength and health of the colonies are the first priority when maintaining a hive. After all, if your colonies are weak, they won’t survive the winter. Many people don’t realize that honey is the bees’ only food source during the Winter. As a result, we do not harvest any honey during a colony’s first year. On an established colony, we usually harvest honey between April and June. While many beekeepers harvest in the Fall, harvesting in the Spring ensures the bees have enough honey stores to survive the Winter.
The amount of honey a hive produces in a year is directly related to the strength of the hive and depends largely on Mother Nature. Depending on these factors, a hive can produce anywhere between 10-40lbs of harvestable honey each year on average. However, if there is a bad year, or an extremely weak hive, there may be no honey to harvest in a given year.
Absolutely! Contrary to popular belief, keeping bees is an extremely safe activity. Honeybees are naturally defensive and only sting as a last resort because they die in the process. We position your hive to avoid the bees flying across frequently used areas. If you’re relaxed around them they’ll leave you alone. Quite frankly unless you’re standing near a bunch of flowers, you may not even realize you have bees on the property! So, don’t be afraid, go ahead and observe and enjoy their awe-inspiring work! Education and precaution are the best preventatives for being stung by a bee.
Bees are considered a keystone species to ecologists because their success or failure determines the success or failure of almost all other forms of life. Without the bees, any person or animal whose food, or food’s food, is pollination dependent, would not survive. It’s estimated that without our pollinators, the human race would only have 4 years of life left. So, next time you see a bee, bee thankful for their selfless work!
Naming each hive is an imperative part to biodynamic beekeeping due to the deeper, revering, and respectful relationship that is cultivated with the bees. Colonies are not compartmentally viewed as boxes with different types of bees inside. Each colony is treated and seen as a whole, living organism. Naming a hive acknowledges the colony’s individuality and reinforces a sense of connection, care, and responsibility between the beekeeper, host, and bees.
We offer two year minimum contracts to ensure that companies or individuals that purchase our services are dedicated to saving our pollinators. A big stressor for bees is having their home be moved too frequently. Colony health is sensitive to stressors and, as a result, moving the hives too frequently can be counterproductive to the cause.
Yes, I would provide follow up notes, resources, and next steps as necessary. Would be dependent on the conversation and asks during the consultation.
