Community Gardens and Honey Bees… a Match Made in Heaven (or on Earth)

photo from communitygarden.org

If you run or manage an urban garden, then you might be wondering what you can do so that you can enjoy the best possible results. Although some people feel as though caring for a community garden is a difficult and challenging process, it does not need to be. Following the correct steps can help anyone grow and maintain a garden of which they can be proud, but avoiding shortcuts is also important to your success.

When you want to take your vegetable garden to the next level, take a look at how honeybees can help you reach your goal. Bringing bees into your community creates a mutually beneficial relationship, and if you are still not convinced that having them around is a good choice, the following information will likely change your mind.

Pollination

Pollination is essential for anyone who wants to grow a healthy garden, and honeybees play a major role in the process. Although gardens can survive without the help of bees, they won’t produce as much food in their absence. If you are like many people, then you are curious about the role that bees play in the survival of your community garden.

When a bee lands on a flower to collect nectar, some of the pollen sticks to the bee’s feet. The honeybees then transport the pollen onto other flowers as they continue to gather the nectar that they will use to make honey. That process allows plants to reproduce with enhanced efficiency, and you will enjoy a larger garden as a result.

Honey to Eat

People from around the world enjoy eating honey, and you can eat it plain or as a topping on other meals, and keeping a beehive near your community gives you access to as much honey as you want. Not only does it taste great, but honey also provides some health benefits to those who eat it.

You can try some when you have a sore throat and want to ease the pain, or you can use honey as a source of antioxidants, which can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. The benefits that you will receive depends on the amount of honey that you consume each day.

Honey to Sell

photo from communication4health.wordpress.com

In addition to providing you with plenty of honey to enjoy at home, having a beehive nearby gives you the perfect opportunity to sell honey to your friends and family or even at a farmers’ market. Almost everyone enjoys honey, and you can even put ads online or tell to attract attention to your delicious treat.

Many beekeepers have experienced positive results from selling flavored honey to people who live in their community. You might not be able to quit your job in the near future, but selling honey is a nice way to earn some extra spending money.

Education

The number of wild honeybees has dropped in recent years, but losing them could have a devastating impact on our food supply. No matter how motivated a person might be, nobody can prevent this problem on their own, and that is why proper education is vital. When people learn about bees and how important they are to the environment, they are more likely to take steps to protect and preserve them. Books and videos can go a long way when it comes to spreading awareness, but they are not enough on their own.

Having a local beehive gives the members of a community the chance to learn about honeybees and how they help gardens thrive, and they can see the process in action, which has a much more powerful impact. Members of the community can ask any questions that they might have, and it will help them develop respect for these tiny insects that help humanity in many ways.

Preservation

Although the preservation of honeybees is important when your goal is to maintain the balance of our ecosystem, educating the public is not always enough to provide lasting results. The good news is that having a beehive near your community garden grants your bees access to all of the nectar that they need to stay healthy and to reproduce.

In fact, people from around the world have invested in bee farms to protect the species and prevent them from going extinct. Their efforts have impacted the honeybee population in a positive way by creating a stable environment in which they can survive, and you now have the opportunity to help.

Community Fun

photo from independent.co.uk

Finding fun activities in which community members can participate can seem impossible at times, but discovering ways for people to work together toward a common goal helps establish a solid basis for trust and mutual respect. Members of many communities have had the chance to bond and work together while managing local beehives, and you can do the same. Interacting with and caring for honeybees provides people with a fun way to contribute to each other and the environment.

Final Thoughts

A vibrant garden and an abundant supply of honey are what you can expect when you place a beehive in your community, and many people have already invited bees into their towns. Learning to care for a colony is not as difficult as some people might suspect, and the benefits will outweigh the amount of time and effort that you will be required to invest.

Unlike wasps, honeybees are usually peaceful, and they won’t attack you unless they start to feel threatened. No matter the size of your urban garden, bees will make your job that much easier.

About the Author

This article on urban gardens and bees was written by Scott Offord, a beekeeper who works with Beepods, promoting education around data-driven sustainable beekeeping through the use of their own top bar hive beekeeping system.