LecturerGood morning everyone. Today I'm going to talk about urban beekeeping — that is, keeping honeybees in cities — which has become surprisingly popular over the past decade.
LecturerLet me start with a little history. People often assume beekeeping is a purely rural activity, but in fact city beekeeping dates back to ancient times. What's new is the recent boom: in London alone, the number of registered hives has tripled since 2010.
LecturerSo why are cities good for bees? You might expect the countryside to be better, but it turns out that urban bees often produce more honey than their rural cousins. The main reason is variety.
LecturerCity gardens, parks and balconies offer a huge range of flowers, so the bees have food from early spring right through to autumn. On farmland, by contrast, bees may face large fields of a single crop that flowers only briefly.
LecturerTemperature plays a part too. Cities are noticeably warmer than the surrounding countryside — an effect scientists call the urban heat island. Because of this, city bees can begin foraging earlier in the year.
LecturerNow, there are challenges. The biggest threat to bees everywhere is a tiny parasite called the varroa mite, which weakens the colony and spreads disease. Beekeepers have to inspect their hives regularly — at least once a fortnight in summer — to keep the mite under control.
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