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Myth busting: are beehives on office buildings dangerous?

Reading time: 3 minutes

There’s no denying it, bees have a bad rep’ — they just do. But far from being the sting-crazy predators they’re often made out to be, bees are first and foremost misunderstood. That’s why we make education such a big part of our urban beekeeping program – because once people develop a better understanding of what they’re about, they almost always develop a newfound respect and trust for our little, buzzing beasts. In fact, more often than not, when we visit our urban beehives located at office buildings, we quickly turn curious, reluctant onlookers into avid amateur beekeepers.

So to debunk the myth of the dangerous bee once and for all, we’re laying out the roadmap for safe, fun, and engaging urban beekeeping.

A person holding a clump of honey bees in their hands

1. Understanding honey bees

Let’s start by setting something straight – honey bees are not particularly interested in us humans. Let’s face it: their daily lives are pretty busy and purposeful already – they’re quite literally on a quest to keep their colony alive and thriving by bringing in nectar, pollen, resin or water. No pressure. Unless they sense a threat or aggression, honey bees simply have no motivation to sting. In fact, not only do they not have any motivation to sting, they have every reason not to, because once they do sting, they lose their stingers, detach a part of their abdomens and rapidly die. Talk about a disincentive.

Another challenge is that they’re often mistaken for wasps, and vice versa. And while wasps do have an interesting role to play – they’re a bit aggressive for our taste. We get it though: unless you’re passionate about pollinators, it can be difficult to see the difference between the two. So to help, here’s a useful guide to tell them apart.

Alvéole beekeeper shows a frame of honey bees to a group of people during a workshop

2. Choosing the right partner

Beekeeping comes with additional responsibilities when practiced in the city – especially if you’re responsible for maintaining the safety and quality of an office building. But with the right supplier, you can count on a turnkey service complete with an experienced team, local infrastructure, adapted facilities, and all of the required insurance coverage, safety certifications, and adherence policies. With that kind of expertise and support, you can rest easy. You have everything you need for things to go smoothly.
 

3. Choosing the right bees

Did you know that bees come in all stripes and sizes? (Sorry, we couldn’t resist!). There are many varieties, with some selected for their honey-producing capacity – especially in commercial honey production – while others are chosen for their docility. That second type, of course, is the one we choose for urban beekeeping. The Italian bee, for example, has a very mild temperament and makes for the perfect neighbor in a densely populated, urban area. They’re so gentle, in fact, that most urban beekeepers wear little to no protection!

A beehive in long grass, surrounded by buildings

4. Installing a hive safely

If you’re working with an experienced, trust-worthy beekeeping partner, they’ll be able to help you analyze orientation, traffic, visibility, ease of site access and exposure to the elements in order to find the very best location for your bees. You can find out if your building is a suitable location for bees by booking an assessment with one of our sales specialists today.
 

5. Keeping your bees happy and healthy

Once the bees are all settled into their new environment, it’s your partner’s responsibility to make sure they’re kept safe, happy, healthy, and thriving – effectively eliminating any chances of aggression or stings. At Alvéole, we go beyond keeping our colonies in good shape and train our beekeepers to teach and share their passion, as each of our packages include essential educational workshops and team building activities. That way, tenants not only know that bees are gentle and safe, but they feel engaged and empowered to spread the word about urban beekeeping as a safe, fun, and enlightening experience that highlights the synchronicity and fragility of our entire ecosystem.

Myth = busted!

Urban beehives present no danger when installed on office buildings. Quite the contrary – with the right partner at your side, they’re a unique and novel way of getting tenants, employees, or community members engaged and involved. In fact, they can even boost the perceived value of your property and help with tenant retention.

Ready to talk with our team about the ways a bee program could benefit your building?

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