Optimizing urban beekeeping

Publication date: 17/02/2020
Extent: 22 pages

Contributions by: Erik Stange, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Norway

Chapter synopsis: Beekeeping, or apiculture, is an agricultural pursuit that has witnessed a dramatic rise in popularity in the past decade in many urban areas across the world as individuals and groups react to the widespread concern about the global decline populations of pollinating insects. This chapter provides a description of the urban environment for bees, and the specific challenges of pursuing beekeeping in cities—including honeybees’ pathogens and swarming behavior. It describes work that attempts to map urban foraging resources for bees, and how this information can be used to provide guidelines for sustainably managing urban honeybee densities. It also highlights recent investigations of how urban landscapes can be managed with respect to plant assemblages and mowing regimes to improve foraging options for both honeybees and wild pollinators alike.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0063.18