https://thebiologist.societyofbiology.org/biologist/14-news/590-urban-bee-hives-not-the-answer

Urban bee hives not the answer

An article in the current edition of *The
Biologist*<https://thebiologist.societyofbiology.org/index.php/biologist>,
explains that the boom in urban beekeeping is not the
answer<https://thebiologist.societyofbiology.org/biologist/158-biologist/features/584-to-bee-or-not-to-bee>
to
honeybee declines. The high density of hives could even be bad for
honeybees and other flower-visiting insects as it risks overtaxing the
available nectar and pollen supply, and potentially encourages the spread
of diseases.

In the article, Professor Francis Ratnieks and Dr Karin Alton, from the
Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects at the University of Sussex,
suggest that we should channel the amazing enthusiasm for bees into growing
more flowers.

Professor Ratnieks says: “Both honeybees and wild bees have been declining.
Although the causes are complex the most important seems to be loss of
flowers and habitat. Since World War Two the spread of intensive farming
has greatly reduced areas rich in wildflowers, such as hay meadows. In the
UK, 75% of the total land is now agricultural, so the lack of flowers is a
major problem for our bees.

“If the problem is not enough flowers, increasing the number of hives risks
making that problem worse. The honeybee is just one of many insect species
which feed on nectar and pollen. Having a high density of honeybee hives is
not only bad for honeybees, but may also affect bumblebees and other
species feeding on the same flowers.”

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