# Bees on a 12th story balcony?



## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

Bees are kept on the rooftops of plenty tall buildings in New York city.


----------



## Eda Bee (Sep 9, 2012)

Yeah even in this city there are some bees kept on resturant rooftops.

I'm really mostly concerned that my neighbours would be bothered by the bees. I don't think everyone is so opened to the idea of urban bees. While there's technically nothing in my lease that says I can't keep bees on the balcony, I'm sure if anyone in the building were to complain I would have to relocate my hive.


----------



## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

There are many stories in our club about renters being turned in by neighbors for having bees on apartment building roofs and balconies. As long as you have a back-up location for your hive, why not try it and see how long in takes before you get caught. Your neighbors might even be fine with it.


----------



## Eda Bee (Sep 9, 2012)

Yeah my parents have a large maple syrup bush and I'm sure they would love to try beekeeping if I fail to conceal my hive well enough.


----------



## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

Eda, why don't you ask them and offer to bring honey over. It might beat walking on eggshells all next year. Do you know the neighbors? Are they easy going? It may be better to know up front than to have to relocate a populous hive next summer. Imagine having to haul 200 pounds of honey and bees through the building in July.


----------



## Eda Bee (Sep 9, 2012)

hmmm that's true, although I think beekeeping is only technically allowed in my lease because it would never have occured to anyone that someone might start an apiary on the 12th floor so I might rather keep it as much on the downlow as possible.

I don't really know the neighbours at all. I'm not even sure if one of the units next to me is rented, so I'm not sure what the response would be.


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>Eda, why don't you ask them and offer to bring honey over.

I recommend against this. I use the Don't ask Don't tell policy. 

>Imagine having to haul 200 pounds of honey and bees through the building in July.
An elevator full of bees? Your neighbors will love you. 

Extracting and processing honey in an apartment is a mess also. Even working bees on a deck is a mess, wax gobs on the floor and all. And there is the bee poop on windows problem.


----------



## Eda Bee (Sep 9, 2012)

odfrank said:


> >Eda, why don't you ask them and offer to bring honey over.
> Extracting and processing honey in an apartment is a mess also. Even working bees on a deck is a mess, wax gobs on the floor and all. And there is the bee poop on windows problem.


Yeah I figured as much, but mess has never bothered me. Also my balcony is already in quite an ugly state so no big deal. The bee poop will go nicely with the pigeon poop.

Really my only concern is for the people who live around me. If it would affect them then it probably isn't practical.


----------



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Most likely your bees will naturally depart their hive on your balcony, primarily in order to forage. Unless the neighbors provide available forage, like water sources, open containers of sugar containing fluids, etc. your bees are not likely going to be spending any time with your neighbors.

Hopefully none of your neighbors will have a direct view of your hive, and as odfrank has said, "I use the Don't ask Don't tell policy." Bees will naturally forage wherever there is something for them to forage, even on the 12th story. So, even if your neighbors do provide something attractive to bees, it will likely not only attract your bees, but other bees as well.

Ignorance is bliss!


----------



## Eda Bee (Sep 9, 2012)

Well that's good news. There would be no way to see the hive from the ground or from another balcony unless you were to stick half your body over the rail and risk falling off, so it sounds like they may not notice it at all.


----------



## cerezha (Oct 11, 2011)

Eda
My situation is slightly different since I have a tiny piece of land to put two permitted beehives. But we are in the center of the city and it seems to me that my situation is even worse than yours - my beehives are in perfect view to all my neighbors! Nevertheless, so far nobody complain. When my bees were established and produced enough honey - I offered honey to all my neighbors. With honey, it looks like, they all are very happy with my bees! My beehives are located on the steep slope. I observed that they fly all in the direction of nectar. They normally do not wonder around beehive. I have tea-place in my garden just behind the beehive and 99% of time did not see any bee. My point is that your bees most probably will fly directly to the nectar target. It is very unlikely that they will bother your neighbors at all. The only time when it may happens is beehive inspection - you need to strategize and chose proper time when your neighbors somewhere away from balcony. I also would suggest to use a navigation marks on your beehive. I am using parallel to the fly direction blue stripes on the landing desk. You could also use stripes on the hive itself for easy recognition. It is not necessary, but it seems to time that it helps bees to fly directly to the entrance. I would use Don't ask Don't tell policy. Good luck. Sergey


----------



## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

I am a bit confused about the regulations in Ontario. Here it says that they have to be 30m away:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90b06_e.htm

But here it doesn't:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_900057_e.htm

There seems to be some confusion in local media as well:

http://www.justfood.ca/foodforall/weblinks/bees-in-urban-areas/

vs 

http://www.globaltoronto.com/map/6442651076/story.html


----------



## mmmooretx (Jun 4, 2012)

In your situation I would consider a TBH (Top Bar Hive) so you can do the crush and strain one bar (frame) at a time. Push the bee exit to the outside of the balcony and they will go straight out and you can stand behind it to do the maintenance. However I would put a leash on the cover and even strap it so it does not get blown off and hit a pedestrian. Below is a link to a nice commercial one that has a hinged lid as a consideration.
http://www.beethinking.com/store/top-bar-hives/top-bar-hive?gclid=CMOGxNa-_bACFQhahwod0ExdmA


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

rwurster said:


> Bees are kept on the rooftops of plenty tall buildings in New York city.


How tall? The ones I have seen pictures of seem to be 3 or 4 storys tall, not 12.

How high is 12 storys tall? 120 feet? I don't see why that wouldn't work. What will happen though is that should your neighbors (how many apartments on your side of the building?) have anything on their balconys which youir bees find attractive you will get to know your neighbors quite well, but not in a nice way.

How do you think your Co-op Board or Building Management Board or whatever it is called will react to you having a beehive on your balcony? How are you going to get it up the elevator and into your apartment?

It is not just the neighbors to either side of you. What about all of those above and below you?


----------



## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

Fairmont Hotels keep bees on the roof of a lot of their hotels, including the Royal York across from Union Station in Toronto. It's 28 floors, but the apiary is on the 14th floor. They use the honey in the hotel restaurants. 

http://www.fairmont.com/promotions/fairmontbees/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Royal_York


----------



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

That Fairmont information sounds like pretty good endorsements for your idea.


----------



## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

sqkcrk said:


> How tall? The ones I have seen pictures of seem to be 3 or 4 storys tall, not 12.


"the famous and luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York has just installed hives on its 20th floor rooftop."
The Barclay: "Four colonies of honeybees arrived on the hotel’s 15th floor rooftop garden in June 2010."
...

Look at more pictures then?


----------



## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

Years ago my neighbor moved his "hobby" chicken coup closer to our $2500 backyard play set, rain run off ran under the swings, it stunk and we could see them better from our house than theirs. After not seeing them, the neighbor complained a fox got in the hen house. I almost left out a steak.

My hives are smack dab in the middle of our back yard maximizing the distance between everyone's decks and patios. I'm sure I could put them ten feet off the property line, but ten feet from their breakfast table is asking too much.


----------



## Splatt (Jul 11, 2012)

Just don't accidentally knock the hive off the balcony.

(Sorry, I couldn't resist. :lookout


----------



## cerezha (Oct 11, 2011)

Cool! I really like the idea of bees on the rooftops and balconies! As far as for neighbors, I understand the problem, but I think, everyone should have rights to do whichever s/he wanted as long as it does not create a disturbance to others. But it is impossible to predict what will happens, so, my approach would be to go ahead and do it and see if any complains later on. Of coarse, bees are living creatures and plan B is needed in case they need to be relocated. Some neighbors are always a problem (including myself - I have so many projects running) - mine has a parrot who made weird very loud noises 24/7. You could not believe how annoying it is! But, I am quiet because I afraid that if I would complain, he would complain about my bees... so we keep status quo - I have his parrot noises and he has my bees drinking from his jacuzzi... compromise! And, yes, my parrot-neighbor enjoyed my honey so much and wanted more... Sergey


----------



## Aerindel (Apr 14, 2012)

> But, I am quiet because I afraid that if I would complain, he would complain about my bees... so we keep status quo -


Now THIS is the right way to be a neighbor.


----------



## Gord (Feb 8, 2011)

Eda

I have langs and TBH's at my place in town. 
Get a top bar hive; the bees get less whipped up when you work them.

I have a TBH on my patio, and I spend hours watching them.
My top bar hives are 4 feet long and have a window.

DO NOT ask your neighbours.
Make sure you always have a jar of honey on hand in case they catch you.


----------



## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I have 12 hives on a four story roof top in urban SF. So far no one knows they're there. Gord in right, DO NOT ASK YOUR NEIGHBORS!. Just do it!


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Charlie B said:


> I have 12 hives on a four story roof top in urban SF. So far no one knows they're there. QUOTE]
> 
> Some of us know exactly where they are and have surrounded that hood with bait hives.


----------



## julysun (Apr 25, 2012)

Put the hive inside and pipe the bees outside into an appropriately placed potted plant. To complaining neighbor say "You know, I have bees in my ******* plant also... I guess it is just the 'hood".

You could ask the management to let you put the hive on the roof, just like all the fancy hotels do!


----------

