There’s a new bee-word in town, and it’s a lot sweeter than the other one.
Last weekend, Frank Ferrucci had a bee hive delivered to his North Burnaby home by 3B Honeybee, a Langley-based beekeeping company allowing Lower Mainland residents to sponsor hives on their properties from spring to summer’s end. Honeybees improve residents’ gardens through pollination and produce around four jars of honey each season.
“Everyone realizes the benefit of it right away,” said Ferrucci, who’s had a hive in his backyard for four years.
Arthur Barker of 3B Honeybee launched the Sponsor a Hive program five years ago as a way to locally combat the global decline of the bee population. He said the program – which has around three to four customers in Burnaby – has been generally well-received and hasn’t received complaints from clients’ neighbours.
“If anyone has any concerns, we try to ‘sweeten the deal,’ as we say, and offer them some honey,” Barker said. “(Honeybees) don’t bother people – they’re not interested in people.”
The incentive of honey and a flourishing garden aren’t the only perks that draw in residents like Ferrucci. He said he also sponsors a hive to help increase the honeybee population. According to Barker, 30 per cent of the population is lost each winter.
“I don’t do this because I get a tax receipt – you don't get a tax receipt – I do it simply because something needs to be done,” Ferrucci said.
Sponsorship costs $350 for installation of one to two hives, biweekly maintenance from 3B Honeybee staff and collection of honey. No additional equipment is required and Barker considers the program an inexpensive way for people to learn about bees.
He also believes Burnaby is an ideal community for bees to thrive.
“There’s lots of stuff for the bees (in Burnaby),” he said. “It’s a well-established neighbourhood with lots of older, perennial plants,” he said.
For more information on sponsoring a hive, visit www.bringingbackbees.ca
