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Beekeeping in New York: Everything you need to know
Here’s our guide to keeping bees in New York
- Can I keep bees in New York?
- The benefits of beekeeping in New York
- Why beekeeping is popular in New York
- How much space do I need for a beehive?
- Registering beehives in New York
- The challenges of beekeeping in New York
- How do I become a beekeeper in New York?
The Big Apple is abuzz with bees! Recent years have seen a beekeeping boom in New York City. As more people discover the joys of looking after bees in the city, more hives have been popping up on NYC’s rooftops, balconies, and parks. Combined with more pollinator gardens and bee-friendly spaces, they have become an integral part of the city’s push to become greener and more sustainable. Elsewhere in the state, New York has always been a great place to keep bees. If you’re curious about beekeeping in the Empire State, you’re in the right place.
Can I keep bees in New York?
Yes! Beekeeping in New York City has been growing in popularity in recent years. Urban beekeeping is a great way to slow down, switch off from the hustle of the city, and put you in touch with the natural world. And the honey is a sweet bonus!
Meet Charles, a Brooklyn beekeeper whose rooftop apiary is buzzing with activity. He shares his tips and tricks for starting your own rooftop hive and offers insights into the rewards of urban beekeeping.
Outside of the city, beekeeping is also thriving in New York State. Bees in New York have access to a diverse array of plants for bees to forage on. This ecological diversity, combined with supportive beekeeping associations, pollinator-friendly legislation, and great market opportunities make New York a beekeeping hotspot.
The benefits of beekeeping in New York
Keeping bees is a wonderfully rewarding hobby that offers a fascinating view into the world of another creature. It’s a learning experience unlike any other and a great way to get kids excited about the wonder of nature.
One of the great things about urban beekeeping is that city gardens and parks provide a wonderfully diverse array of flowers for bees to feed on. This means they often have nectar and pollen available at times when rural bees require supplemental feeding. It also leads to delicious, flavorful honey. In fact, many connoisseurs are increasingly choosing urban honey over rural honey.
Did you know that honey has a long history of medicinal use going back thousands of years? It’s got strong antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. And if stored correctly, honey never goes off! Being able to collect this magic substance from your own hive is a unique experience. In this clip from our online beekeeping course, Dr. Nural Cokcetin shares her research into honey's powerful health benefits and medicinal qualities.
Having a beehive can give a serious pollination boost to the plants in your neighborhood. As pollinator protection and awareness grow, more people are planting pollinator gardens and providing havens for bees. These rooftop gardens benefit from beehives in a symbiotic partnership that can make cities more sustainable.
Agriculture in New York State depends on bees to keep the orchards and other crops productive. Recognizing the crucial role of honeybees and other pollinators, New York recently banned the use of harmful neonicotinoid pesticides. This is a huge win for the beekeepers and bees of New York.
Why beekeeping is popular in New York
Beekeeping in NYC was legalized in 2010, and has grown in popularity since then. During Covid lockdowns, this trend intensified as more people turned to beekeeping as a relaxing hobby. According to a New York Times article on the NYC beekeeping boom, it was estimated that there were 600 hives in the city in 2020. Thanks to this, there’s now an abundance of hyperlocal honey in the city’s markets.
How much space do I need for a beehive?
A Flow Hive is an ideal choice for first-time beekeepers, particularly in the city. A Flow Hive requires very little space, just a few square feet, so they’re perfect for rooftops and balconies. And Flow’s unique harvesting system provides the opportunity to harvest your very own honey straight from the hive. You won’t need any bulky honey extractors and you’ll save hours of sticky messing work.
Whether you’re in NYC or elsewhere in the state, beekeeping is a commitment that takes some time and effort. Although you don’t need to open the hive when harvesting honey, you’ll still need to do the regular work of taking care of your bees. This will involve inspecting the hive for signs of disease or other weaknesses, managing swarming, and preparing your bees for the winter. With so much to learn, it can feel daunting, but it’s an amazing learning experience.
That’s why we teamed up with the world’s beekeeping experts to create TheBeekeeper.org. This online course takes you through each stage of becoming a skilled, confident beekeeper. It’s helped thousands of users to begin their beekeeping journey and is free to try for a month. At Flow, we’ve also got tons of beekeeping resources including beekeeping blogs, weekly livestream Q&As, informative YouTube videos, and detailed FAQs.
Registering beehives in New York
Beekeepers in New York State are required to register annually with the Department of Agriculture and Markets. This enables the Department to keep a complete list of all beekeepers and allows the Department to contact beekeepers when bee health issues arise.
There may be local restrictions on beekeeping in certain municipalities. Get in touch with local beekeepers to find out about regulations that apply to keeping bees in your area.
If you’re in New York City, you are required to register your hives with the Department of Health and follow New York City health codes. You also need to inform the Health Department of any changes to the number or location of your hives within 10 business days of the change.
The New York City Beekeepers Association has created a code of best practices for keeping bees in the city. Complying with hive registration requirements helps to maintain the health of your bees and other colonies in your locality. It also means that there’s less chance of your bees becoming a nuisance or upsetting your neighbors. If you look after your bees, they’ll look after you!
The challenges of beekeeping in New York
While beekeeping is a wonderful experience, it does require time and effort, and poses some challenges. Weather can be an issue in New York, with hot summers and cold winters. If your beehive is on a rooftop or balcony, carrying equipment up there can be hard work, especially when working alone. High winds on rooftops can also be a problem, as well as ensuring the bees have sufficient sun exposure in the morning.
The Flow® harvesting system cuts down on the time and effort required for harvesting honey, leaving you more time to spend on taking excellent care of your bees. It’s still important to inspect your bees and ensure they have adequate food and water and are free from pests and diseases. Some people with hives prefer to get experienced beekeepers to manage the beehive.
Although all beekeepers should take steps to mitigate swarming, this is especially important in an urban environment. Swarming bees can cause difficulty in densely populated areas, so it’s essential to try to limit this tendency as much as possible, particularly in spring and early summer. We’ve covered swarm management in detail in lessons in our online course at TheBeekeeper.org.
How do I become a beekeeper in New York?
When you’ve made the decision to take the plunge and dive into beekeeping, it’s time to choose your hive. You can choose a hive with six or seven Flow Frames, and there are a number of models with varying features available. This handy guide can help you to choose the perfect Flow Hive for your needs. As well as a beehive, you’ll need a smoker and bee suit to get going. To grab these with a sweet saving, our Starter Bundle is a great option.
The next steps are: choose an appropriate location for your hive, assemble and paint/seal the hive, source a bee colony, and don’t forget to get your hive registered. We also recommend getting in touch with your local beekeeping club or association. Luckily, New York has many clubs across the state. They can be a great source of support, advice and can help you to get bees for your hive.
Keeping bees is such a joyful and rewarding pastime. It gives you the opportunity to observe the interconnectedness of life, appreciate the changing seasons in a new way, and play an active role in contributing to the health of your environment. If this sounds right for you, choose your Flow Hive model today!
Still not sure? Have more questions? Contact our friendly support team to begin your beekeeping journey today.
