I started my beekeeping adventure in 2012. I joined the local beekeeping association, attended its 10 week bee school, set up two hives in my backyard and bought bees. Simple, right?
I am a suburban beekeeper. I live in a small town. My house is only 20 feet away from my neighbors’ homes on each side. Good urban beekeepers need well-informed neighbors. So before starting backyard beekeeping I met with each of my next door neighbors. I told them that I would be placing bee hives in my backyard. Both were supportive. My neighbor, Jim, was especially supportive. Although he is allergic to bee stings he enthusiastically encouraged me to get bees. “After all” he pointed out, “I work in my garden every day around all kinds of bees. I have an Epi-Pen and I know how to use it.” When my bees arrived he was first on the scene to watch.
Despite my immediate neighbors’ open-minded equanimity, I was concerned that urban beekeeping might unnecessarily alarm more distant neighbors and passersby. There is a biking/hiking trail adjoining a creek that borders my property. My hives are located within 30 feet of that busy trail.
To minimize the anxiety of passersby and reduce the visibility of my hives I decided to camouflage the hives. I painted them in mottled forest tones to blend in with the rest of my wooded lot. Stepping back to admire my camo handiwork I worried. Was the paint job too good? Would the bees find their way home? Even if they found their way home, how would they know which of the two hives was their home? After all, the two hives sat only 5 feet apart.
