Plan bee
“We were amazed by how all these insects found their way up to a garden 13 storeys in the air,” Garcelon says. Curious about the idea of the hotel raising bees of its own, Garcelon made some phone calls and connected with the cooperative. In the first year, more than a thousand hotel guests came up to see the bees, and the hives produced more than 150 kilograms of honey. What’s more, the hotel’s honey took second place in the Liquid Honey Amber category at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
The Royal York bees have also garnered a lot of media attention, aiding the co-op in its search for additional homes for apiaries, ideally in places where the public can watch beekeeping first-hand. Oliver Couto, executive board member of the co-op, says he gets several e-mails a week from prospective beekeepers. “Once people find out that there’s an opportunity to do beekeeping in the city, it’s incredible how many want to get involved.”
The language of bees
Honeybees have long been known to perform a dance to tell other bees in the hive about food sources in the field. The dance is of two basic types: the waggle dance, in which the bee wiggles its back end while moving in a figure-eight pattern, indicating that food is farther away; and the round dance, a shortened version of the waggle dance in which the bees travels in small circles, indicating that food is nearby. In addition to dancing, a scout bee that has found a rich food source will often offer a taste of the nectar to a potential recruit.
Aristotle was the first to describe the honeybee dance in 330 BC. At the time, it was believed to attract the attention of other bees.
B.B.
Brad Badelt is a freelance science and travel writer currently living in Toronto’s urban jungle.
Todd on Fri, 18th Dec 2009 8:16 pm
Dancing Bee Apiary is located about an hour east of Toronto. We are offering beekeeping lessons in groups of 8-9 people in the Spring time. Visit our website for all the info http://www.dancingbeehoney.com The goal of the lessons are to have students avoid some of the common mistakes new beekeepers make. By the end of the beginners lesson, students should feel confident to start their incredibly rewarding new hobby.
Julie McKenzie on Thu, 5th Aug 2010 8:42 pm
Can you help us, advise us? Summer of 2009, east wall of house became home for many honey bees. People came to view the problem but no one offered any help. Colony has grown considerably this year. Did not want to resort to exterminating them, but we seem to have arrived at that crossroad. When I think about having them destroyed, my heart sinks…………they’re honey bees, and in this area they are becoming a rare thing, but options have dwindled. Even if no suggestions, appreciate that you gave this a read.