Long before the recent urban beekeeping trend, Michael Burgett ("Perspectives in Urban Entomology", 1978) suggested that there was a seasonal trade off for urban colonies: a strong spring, due to the abundance of flowering trees and the urban heat island effect, but a weak fall due to a shortage of late-blooming "weeds" like goldenrod and asters. While this remark seems to be anecdotal (no data presented), it is very consistent with what I've observed here in Ohio. So, I would suggest that if we're serious about keeping bees in the city, the best thing we can do is convince homeowners that goldenrod makes a lovely alternative to mowed grass. And it's not just the honey bees that would thank us for that.

Doug
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