I bought beekeeps honey yesterday and tried some in my tea this morning. It is very good honey. Thanks Beekeep!

And think about the farmers markets. When we visit the Pequest Hatchery festival out past Hackettstown we always make a point of buying a 5lb jug of local NJ honey to help support the local beekeepers.

Thanks Amy, I'll look into the local organic markets.

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Have you thought about going around to the local organic markets in Jersey City to see if they would sell them for you? Subia's is one in particular that comes to mind. Maybe if you went to the store and showed her what you have to offer she would consign it for you.

What a great idea! Some studies show that consumption of local honey helps relieve allergy sufferers. And with cold season coming up, I need all the help I can get. Thanks for posting beekeep.

Anyone want to buy some extremely local honey? Email me. libertycityhoney AT gmail DOT com

Holy Mackrel, it's been a while since I looked into beekeeping & decided it wouldn't work here, but apparently in the intrim there's been an urban explosion of bee keepers all over the country & the world, proving me very, very wrong. Check it out:


http://article.wn.com/view/2009/06/22 ... ybees_make_sweetest_pets/

Tokyo to Pittsburg to NYC to JC... Looks like we'll be seeing more of this rather than less as time goes on.

I agree. From the article you sent it seems maybe earlier in the season he wasn't providing them with enough water because that is definitely what they were using our yard for. They are frequenting our friends deck a lot more recently than ours.

It's actually very cool we have a beekeeper in our area. Your article makes a point of saying it's great if they do things properly, he's learning!

I added some info on the smokers in the above post- Like anything else, they're safe if used properly, but some people....... :)

If it's literally hundreds of bees in your back yard I would look at that as a problem. As the one article mentions, if you're an urban bee keeper you need to be on top of where the girls are going.

Sounds like this guy got the part about making sure the hive is above "head level" so it's not in people's faces, but it seems like your back yard is the best suited "commute" for the ladies to get to work.

Maybe give it a few weeks and see if they expand their territory, or move on once the seasonality of your particular garden slows the blooming, making it less attractive?

Thanks for your help. GREAT ARTICLE. And I did plant honeybee friendly plants when I learned about the decline in honeybees. I love the little fellas. Maybe not in the hundreds but that only seems to happen when they are on their way home I'm betting.

We did have a friend with a honeybee allergy but that would be an issue even if they weren't coming from this hive. I think our main concern is fumigation and fire on top of a cluttered shed. But it would be patronizing to assume they aren't just as concerned. And until I educate myself more I can't assume it's a hazard at all.

I don't know that you'll be able to do anything about it, since the state has from time to time actually subsidized bee keeping in New Jersey because of a shortage of professional bee keepers:

http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/ne ... approved/press060214.html


I absolutely empathize with you on this- I personally would only keep em in the 'burbs. I used to be pretty freaked out by bees until some family members began bee keeping- It's amazing how docile they really are.

Yellow Jackets are a whole different story (they're communal wasps) and those are the ones that would be inclined to dive-bomb your sangria...and Jersey City has no shortage of them. But the chances of you getting stung by a honey bee is exceedingly low unless you happen to grab or sit on one (and it's more of a "terribly sorry, but you're crushing me" type situation than a "you die now" situation you'll get from yellow jackets).

Now it makes me happy to see the little suckers working the plants outside my place. They really, really won't bother you. Having said that, if you're upset about it you of course should talk to your neighbor or, if that's no help, the city.

If you have an allergy to them, of course, it's a much bigger deal, even if the chances of a sting are very low.

The only other concern I'd have is that the bee keeper wasn't properly maintaining the hive & it was attracting other pests.

Here's another story you may find interesting:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080 ... ng-is-the-latest-buzz.htm

Regarding the smoker he's using (or should be using) there should be absolutely no flame, as the fuel only smolders- the better to generate a good amount of smoke. They don't "fumigate" in the sense that it's hurting the bees- The smoke calms em down so you can get in the hive (they will sting if you muck around in their house).

I suppose it's a possible fire hazard, but probably less so than a candle or certainly a tiki torch.

I have noticed an exceedingly large amount of bees, sometimes hundreds at a time in my little yard. At first I was elated my lavender was working wonders for the environment (yah, I single handedly increased the honeybee population!) and then realized something must be amiss because it was getting scary out there. A neighbor noted the same issues when eating on their deck and then they noticed a beekeeper's hive on a rooftop down the alley.

This morning my neighbor smelled fire in the back alley and noted this beekeeper came to fumigate them. What we want to know is if it's allowable in city limits? We aren't about to fink on the guy, and I don't blame anyone for making their own honey, but is the next thing chickens? Maybe a goat? Moonshine? I'd do moonshine.

I can handle the bees if they stop surrounding me while I drink sangria during a BBQ, I can even be happy someone is helping honeybees thrive. But was just thinking if everyone decided to do this how my little backyard might become rush hour for honeybees....and is that such a bad thing? Then again fumigating=smoke & fire. Maybe not so safe.