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Urban beekeeping 'cool thing to do'

Backyard beekeeping in Vancouver is all the buzz these days and young families are welcoming hives into their backyards, say professional beekeepers.

Beekeeping businesses say younger families are looking to have beehives in their backyard

Are you interested in keeping bees? Make sure you learn from the experts, or you can hurt not help them. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

Backyardbeekeeping in Vancouver is all the buzz these days and youngfamilies are welcoming hives into their backyards, say professionalbeekeepers.

"Many younger family-types with little kids are getting beehives with us," said Bryn Jones with3BHoneybee, a business that will install hives and look after them in your backyard.

Backyard beekeeping is growing among young families, say professional beekeepers. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

The business model is one of the ways urban beekeeping is taking shape in the city.

Jones has around 60 hives around town and he's already got a wait list for next year.

"It's media driven in some way. People are concerned about these bees and are becoming more aware that they're having difficulties," said Jones of the plight of the honey bees.

Julia Common with Hives for Humanity says proper beekeeping is essential for safety and to ensure the bees are healthy. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

Connecting with nature

Other urban beekeepers are looking to be more in touch with their garden, saidJulia Commonwith Hives for Humanity.

The non-profit organization teaches beekeeping to people living in Vancouver's poorest neighbourhoods, but it also manages beehives.

Businesses set up hives in backyards, take care of them and give the hive hosts some honey and sell the remainder. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

The families, or hive hosts, get a share of the honey and the rest of the honey is sold to support the organization's programming.

Lisa Giroday is one such hive host.

"It's a pleasure to have around, we are happy to host them" Giroday said.

She added that bees help her bypollinatingfruit trees, berries and flowers.

Lisa Giroday said the best part about being a hive host is teaching her two-year-old daughter about bees. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

The bees also serve as a learning toolfor her two-year-old daughter, Wren.

"Learning how to treat nature and respect bugs and animals," said Giroday.

Her preschool daughter saidtasting the warm honey from the hive is her favourite part.

Two-year-old Wren likes the honey from the hive the most. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)
Having hives in your backyard is a good way to teach children about the honeybee colony, say urban beekeepers. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

'Cool to do good'

Giroday, who helps others grow their garden through her company Victory Gardens, says more of her customers and friends are looking to have bees in their backyard.

"It's becoming cool to do good, to do good things and live with a lighter footprint. Beekeeping 100 per cent fits into that," she said.

Experts warn that improper beekeeping can actually do more harm than good by spreading diseases. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

Proper training needed - or diseases can spread

While it's great that interest in helping the honey bees hasgrown, experts warn that improper beekeeping can actually do more harm than good.

"One of the biggest problems urban beekeeping faces... is having appropriate training to keep [bees]," said Leonard Foster, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology with University of British Columbia.

B.C. is home to more than 2,400 beekeepers and almost 47,000 colonies of bees. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

"If [keepers]don't have training to watch out for diseases, theycan spread even faster if a lot of people are beekeeping in inappropriate ways," said Foster.

That is why expert beekeepersencourage hobbyist to takeappropriate training or to consider sponsoring a hive.