Urban beekeeping is legally practiced in several major cities as Ray
points out.  I believe Long Island is the oldest group.  Seattle has a
"model beekeeping ordinance".  It spells out how many hives, where they
can be placed, distance from sidewalks, etc.  In general, the hives
should be placed where passer-bys don't cross the flight path of the
bees.  If the lot is small, a solid fence does the trick, since the bees
have to fly over the fence and thus over the heads of people.
 
I have seen hives on rooftops, decks, in yards, almost anywhere they can
cling.  Worst one was on top of a four story house with a very steep
roof.  A house painter owned them and hung ladders on the roof to get to
the hives on a tiny platform.  How he managed to move supers full of
honey on ladders tied by a rope to a chimney beats me.  Another had to
jump a five foot gap between two roofs to get to the hives!
 
With the advent of the Africanized bee and the media driven hysteria, we
should encourage urban beekeeping.  I am beating that in urban areas the
Africanized bees will take over as the predominant feral bee.  I say this
based on reports that the Africanized bees are somewhat mite resistant
(to Varroa), the reported ability of Africanized bees to take over
cavities from European bees and birds and small animals, etc.; and their
less picky nature about what serves as a suitable site to set up
housekeeping.
 
By keeping European bees in cities, we maintain some comptetition for
cavities, etc. and hopefully a large pool of European drones to mate with
Africanzied queens (even if their overall success rate may be poorer than
that of Africanized drones, the greater numbers should help).
 
So, I suggest that there should be a big push to educate the media and
our urban neighbors about the reasons for keeping bees in cities - other
than pollinating fruit trees, flowers, etc.
 
There will always be bees in cities, just which type becomes the question.
 
Best Regards to BEE-L
 
Jerry Bromenshenk
The University of Montana
[log in to unmask]
 
 
 
On Mon, 21 Mar 1994, Ray Lackey wrote:
 
> No Problem!  I am a member of The Long Island Beekeepers Club.  We have
> members from the Bronx to Shelter Island.  We have had members keep bees
> sixth floor roof in Manhattan.  Queens County (New York City) has the
> highest yield per hive average of NY state.  In Queens, people in row houses re
> houses request beekeepers to keep their meanest hives on their roofs to
> stop those who would make the rooftops a pathway.
>
> Our club met yesterday (lessons on mead making and spring management)
> but meets the third Sunday of every month.  Give me a call if you
> would like to visit sometime.
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> +    Raymond J. Lackey                                     +
> +    Beekeeper 10 years with 25 colonies on Long Island, NY+
> +    INTERNET: [log in to unmask]                       +
> +    Mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY 11617            +
> +    Home Phone: 516-567-1936  FAX: 516-262-8053           +
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>