In Britain, Growth of Urban Beekeeping May Be Hurting Bees
A European honey bee extracts nectar (Photo: John Severns)
Urban apiculture: that’s a fancy way of saying beekeeping in the city.
In recent years, Britain has seen a beekeeping boom in urban areas. Tending a hive is the latest way to get a bit of “green cred” in the city.
In London alone, the number of hives has more than doubled in the past five years, according to figures released by Britain’s National Bee Unit.
But the up-tick in city apiculture has some scientists wondering if it might be doing the insects more harm than good.
We speak with Dr. Karin Alton, who is with the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects at the University of Sussex. Her suggestion for urbanites looking to help? Consider planting bee-friendly plants instead of starting a hive.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.