Bees and Beekeeping in Vancouver
Curious about beekeeping in Vancouver? Erin McGann has the scoop.
I tell everyone about our bees.
Whenever honey comes up in conversation, I casually mention our two beehives in our rooftop garden. Of course, I start gushing almost immediately, because keeping bees is something I’ve always wanted to do. We have a communal vegetable and fruit garden on our co-op roof, where the beehives sit. Those hives are managed by Hives for Humanity, an organization dedicated to enhancing community through beekeeping in Vancouver.
Beekeeping in Vancouver
Bees are incredible little creatures, but there are quite a few types of bees out there. Those big, fuzzy bumblebees actually live a solo existence, as well as several other species of bee that float around our gardens, pollinating our plants. That is the important bit, because without bee pollination, our food sources would be limited indeed, as they pollinate over 100 different kinds of food crops.
Get Started with Mason Bees
A simple way to make sure you have bees in your garden is to set up a mason bee house. The name ‘mason bee’ refers to solitary bees that don’t live in hives, but make their homes in mud, reeds, or holes in wood. They don’t make honey, and there is no queen bee. Most of our native bees are mason bees, so setting up a mason bee house is a great way ensure native bees have a place to nest. You can also order mason bee cocoons to go in your mason bee house. Be sure to have plenty of flowering plants available, starting in spring and continuing until autumn, so your bees have somewhere to forage. Homesteader’s Emporium offers some mason bee courses.
Thinking about Keeping Honeybees?
Keeping honeybees is a big undertaking. When I talk to people about our hives, their concerns are about the kids getting stung and the bees swarming. Honeybees are quite focused little creatures, and don’t sting unless the hive is threatened. They warn you quite a bit before stinging too, in my experience, by flying into your head and buzzing madly by your ear. To keep honeybees, you will need some training. There are courses offered by the Homesteader’s Emporium and Brian Campbell’s Blessed Bee Apiary and Bee School in Vancouver, Honeybee Centre in Surrey, and Honeyland Canada in Pitt Meadows. Most of these courses are a commitment of several days, so be prepared! All that work pays off, however, in the amazing relationship you can have with honeybees. Beekeeping in Vancouver (or anywhere) requires you to be quiet and calm – that’s no bad thing to cultivate. The honey – oh, nothing compares to having your very own honey. Look for a beekeeping group in your area, there are quite a few around.
Visit some Honeybees
Some of the Vancouver community gardens have beehives, and if you catch the beekeeper there, you could always ask to hear more about their hives. Homesteader’s Emporium and the Honeybee Centre have shorter afternoon courses if you just want to learn more about bees and get up close. Many beekeeping associations will connect you with local beekeepers if you’d like to visit hives.
