Pittsburgh's Burgh Bees promote bees as good neighbors

Photo by Alex Grelli/courtesy Burgh Bees

Pittsburgh's Burgh Bees, an organization of local beekeepers working to educate, mentor and promote sustainable urban beekeeping, knows how to make bees become welcome neighbors in a garden near yours. Meredith Grelli, one of the founders of the group, spoke in a recent Pittsburgh Gardening Scene Examiner article about the challenge of overcoming the fear some people feel about bees.

Most avid gardeners already understand the importance of bees both in maintaining healthy, eco-friendly gardens and in growing our food supply. Still, beekeepers understand that neighbors can be a little nervous knowing a hive is located nearby and people with very critical allergy problems need to have their situation respected.

The Burgh Bee website explains some guidelines for urban beekeepers. Here are two rules quoted from their site:

• All hives within 20 feet of a property line should have a solid fence or vegetative obstruction 5 feet or more in height between the hives and the property line.
• All hives within 30 feet of a public sidewalk or roadway should have a solid fence or dense vegetative obstruction or be elevated so as to direct the flight path of the bees well above traffic and pedestrians.

The Pittsburgh Gardening Scene Examiner asked Ms Grelli about this technique.

Q: During their training, beekeepers learn to be good neighbors by using barrier fences. Do you find that people living near beekeepers feel secure knowing this or do you still have to contend with nervous neighbors?

A: Really, some of the most important work urban beekeepers do is in public relations. It's important to answer neighbors' concerns before you even get bees or erect fences or plant hedges. Its no use trying to hide bees. For those whose neighbors are unmoved by their enthusiasm for bees, we are working to develop a community apiary where anyone who completes our training will be able to keep a hive, much like they would a plot in a community garden. Not only will this space preserve neighborly peace, but it will also be a space for mentorship and sharing equipment.

Q: Beekeepers are often portrayed using a smoke device to calm bees. How does that work?

A: Smoke works in a couple ways. It simulates a forest fire and the bees believe their hive is in danger of going up in flames. So, they gorge on honey to prepare to evacuate and in so doing become distracted and are less concerned that a beekeeper is fidgeting with their home. Smoke also masks bees' alarm pheromones, so they have a harder time when smoked, communicating the panic signal that makes them more aggressive.

Urban beekeepers are doing their part to be good neighbors and gardeners can reciprocate by doing some things that help the bees. The Burgh Bee website gives a list, but above all, stop using toxic pesticides, not just for the bees, but for all of us.