Something that has been causing us great concern over the last few years is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that has been plaguing honey bee populations. The good news is, at least from our conversations with beekeepers in the Bay Area, is that CCD has not been a problem for urban honey bees who seem to be doing ok where they are allowed to live in the absence of major threats of fungicides, insecticides and other chemical inputs. We need to continue to help all of our bees thrive - native bees and honey bees - so they can keep our ecosystem humming. While honey bees are generalists, native bees tend to be specialists who rely on “native” flowering plants and shrubs. Flowering weeds, even dandelions and wild mustard, can help our pollinators by providing diverse sources of pollen and nectar. Consider planting natives, and even letting weeds flower and pulling them only after the flowers wilt but before full seed-set or seed dispersal.
If you have the space, you also might consider contacting a local beekeeper organization to see if they have members who need space for their hives. If conditions are right for the honey bees, you can have the enjoyment of helping the bees, and share the honey they produce without the cost, time and responsibility of actually tending to the colony. The San Francisco Beekeepers Association is interested in linking up people in San Francisco willing to host a hive in their back yard or roof top with members who need a location for hives. Regional and international beekeeping groups can be found here. Beekeeping groups may also be willing to offer short-term “nucleus” hives to help you pollinate your fruit trees.
For the truly ambitious, maybe 2009 is the year you decide to take up beekeeping? Joining your local beekeeping club is a great way to learn, connect with other like-minded and interested folks and understand the “do’s and don’ts” of beekeeping in your region. The friendly folks at Bee Guardian have plenty of information for people who are interested in sheltering and protecting bees and becoming non-commercial beekeepers.
