Greenpoint is the Bees' Knees

It’s unnerving to spot a bee buzzing within a few inches of your body. The instinctual fight or flight reaction will cause you to hopelessly shoo it away (with detrimental results) or stand as still as a statue with nerves and brain frozen until the critter decides to roam elsewhere with careless determination. Most of us cannot tell the difference between a bumblebee and a yellow jacket but it is helpful to know the honeybee is the most docile and domesticated species and their role as pollinators is vital to the continual health of all urban environments.
Colony Collapse Disorder has shaken fear and concern around the nation as thousands of honeybees have either died off or disappeared altogether and it is still unclear exactly what caused such a mysterious calamity. Their instrumental and indispensable function as pollinators of gardens and farms are especially in peril to urban food production as it affects environmental and economic well being that might not have been recognized in the past. Wild colonies have always been present without human interference and this continual disintegration of colonies causes great concern among scientists, farmers and the general public.
As a result of this anxiety there has been an increasing number of rogue beekeepers spread throughout the city, especially in Brooklyn as enthusiasts and supporters put in efforts to revitalize a fundamental contributor to urban growth, sharing messages of environmental consciousness and public health. Currently the New York City health code bans beekeeping but council member David Yassky has recently introduced a bill to legalize beekeeping as a means to regenerate the honeybee population and in collaboration with Just Food, a non-profit organization promoting fresh and healthy food for the community, recently launched Pollinator Week which provided support and awareness of the issue.
One of a dozen known beekeepers is Megan, who upon moving from Baltimore attended instructional meetings at New York City Beekeepers Association and started her first hive this past April on the roof of her Greenpoint apartment. Upon consent from both landlord and neighbors Megan has helped her Italian bees produce forty pounds of honey thus far with about the same amount remaining for harvest with additional portions for the colony to survive through the winter. The gardens of nearby homes have flourished and overproduced with vegetables and blooms as the bees travel an average of three miles from their hive to diligently pollinate. The hive requires weekly maintenance, which involves lighting smoke into the hive to trigger a response to eat and save the honey in case of fire, distracting them from a beekeeper’s inspection. Each frame is checked for brew pattern and eggs, making sure the queen is fulfilling her duties producing hundreds of thousands of eggs per day to maintain a population of forty to fifty thousand at any given time. Budget for a single hive can cost about $500 and Megan shares she has almost broken even which will be deposited into a bee fund to start another colony next year.
Lifting the ban on beekeeping may not bring in a swarm of potential beekeepers but will provide support and proper training as well as guided inspections to prevent failing and neglected colonies. Potential exposure to bee stings is the most common concern and although honeybees are a non-aggressive domesticated species, proper supervision and precautions should be taken. But considering rooftop beekeeping finds little exposure to pets and children it’s a viable solution to maintaining a sustainable and productive urban environment for both the community and honeybees. Besides, it would be difficult to turn down the most floral, light and fresh spoonful of honey produced by those critters pollinating on your garden and serenading sweet goo on the roof next door.