An Urban Beekeeper Interview

An Urban Beekeeper Interview

By Emma Kajiyama

I live in the suburbs of Manchester, where there are still many pockets of green spaces. This can be seen as good news for the local bees.  Honeybees (Apis mellifera) can thrive and flourish in urban areas if an adequate amount of pollinator-friendly gardens and parks are present. 

Urban beekeeping has been spreading across cities such as London and Manchester, and with it has spread the love for bees.  I myself have developed a great fondness for these important little creatures, who, along with their gentle furry relatives, the bumblebee (Bombus), are hugely essential in pollinating and producing many of the foods we eat. 

I sat down to have a chat with an urban beekeeper in my hometown to talk about the ups and downs of beekeeping in an urban area.

Urban Nurture: Why did you decide to become a beekeeper?

Lorna Montrose: I have always loved gardening and so have been aware of honeybees, bumblebees and their role in gardens.  This developed into a keen interest and I just find them very appealing. It was actually by chance that I heard about a beekeeping course at Heaton Park.  They were offering two days training for £145.00.  It does seem a very expensive hobby but I became even more attracted to it after a few days of complex learning! 
I was also initially drawn to the idea of making local honey, but now I find the whole process so rewarding.  Not only does it contribute to their conservation and our own survival, but just sitting in the garden, watching them is very therapeutic.  They are always busy doing something!

UN: What kind of training did you have to do?

LM: I joined 'The Manchester District & Beekeepers Association' (mdbka) where they have a training course twice a month, between March and October when the bees are active, to work in an apiary for two hours with experienced beekeepers.  The courses they run are very busy and popular so if anyone is interested to start, keep your eyes peeled for vacancies. The mdbka run 3 to 4 courses a year, I think you can find more information on their website. http://www.mdbka.com/home.html

UN: Have you found there are many beekeepers in Manchester?

LM: Yes, I believe there are around 254 registered beekeepers in Manchester. You meet a lot of them through the mdbka. You can also find lots of beekeepers on allotments.  The more you find, the more you realise there are many beekeepers dotted around the city.

UN: Do you have any advice for people wanting to start beekeeping?

LM: I think the main advice I can give is that you have a responsibility to do it well.  It is not for the faint-hearted.  I currently have one hive which is dying, and which I have to let die. They have Nosema, which is a parasitic fungal disease, common in adult honeybees. I have to experiment ways in which to help my bees, as infections such as this one don't always follow the rulebook.
My other advice for would-be beekeepers is to join a beekeeper group, join an allotment or speak to private beekeepers. Everyone is always happy to help each other. Always watch, learn, talk, listen and ask questions! Find out about all areas and then, make an informed decision. There are lots of info to be found in books, videos and online.  It is an expensive hobby, as getting second hand equipment opens up the danger of infection. A new hive can cost £250.00 and it is advisable to have two, just in case one fails.
Even if you have a full-time job, it is possible to have beehives. It is a seasonal hobby so it can be very relaxing.  Between October - March, the hives are closed. So really, you are just busy for half a year. 

UN: What are your future hopes as a beekeeper?

LM: I have kept bees for 18 months now and am now a Deputy at the mdbka. They have been very supportive, offering benefits such as free tests for diseases.  I would like to continue to learn, be more proficient and be able to recognise problems at the root and all this comes with experience.  I can sum up my experience with beekeeping - 'when it's bad, it's very bad, but when it's good it's fantastic!' I absolutely love it. 

UN: Final question, are you happy for people to contact you to ask questions about bees?

LM: Absolutely! I'm very happy to help anyone interested in bees and welcome anyone who would like to have a look at the hives and ask questions.

If you do wish to learn more about our lovely little pollinators, please contact Lorna with any bee-related enquiries:

Lorna.montrose@gmail.com  /  Kajidoodles@hotmail.com

Further information about honeybees and bumblebees can be found:

http://www.bbka.org.uk/
http://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/