Hive Hosting

NOTE

Please note that due to high demand, we are not accepting additional hive hosting requests at this time. Please check back in the future.

Is hive hosting for you?

Hosting some of our hives is a great way to get involved in sustainable beekeeping. What's in it for you? Do you want:

To take an active role in supporting the bee population and helping secure our food sources through the spread of active pollinators?
Enjoy the benefits of bees in your neighbourhood, including brighter flowers and more productive gardens ?
To learn about bees by watching their behaviour in a completely safe environment?
To help us grow our business at no cost to you?
To earn some free honey as a thanks from us and our bees?

If any of these ideas appeal to you, then talk to us about hive hosting!

What's involved?

We will work with you every step of the way to ensure a positive outcome:

We'll start with a site visit, to review the suitability of the site, determine how many hives you could host and how many you want, and ensure you are aware of any relevant considerations. While we will consider single-hive installments, we will give preference to multiple hives; in addition to simplifying our travel and hive management, multiple hives in the same location increase positive outcomes for the colonies. Hives can be placed within a few feet of each other, so the space requirements for multiple hives is not much more than for a single hive.
If you decide to move forward, we will transport the hives to your location and install them on small tables. The bees will already be established in their homes, and we will perform this move with the least possible stress for the bees.
We will visit your site as required to ensure the bees have everything they need and that there are no significant issues. After initial setup, the typical requirement is for one visit per month; we will respect your conditions around access (e.g., accompanied or unaccompanied) and select a day and time that works for you. You can be completely hands off, or participate in the hive management activities - whatever works for you.
The beehives will have minimal impact on your normal activities. We will orient the hive so that the bees come and go without passing through high traffic areas, and you will be able to use most of your space just like you did before the bees arrived.
Other than blocking the hive entrance or opening the hive, you are welcome to experience the bees to the extent you desire. Honeybees will not sting or otherwise act aggressively unless they perceive their hive is under attack; the experience of an early morning coffee and watching the colony come alive in the morning, while seated just a couple of feet from the hive, is an experience everyone should try!
If at any point you choose to stop the hosting, we will come and return the hives to our apiary with no questions asked. Otherwise, in accordance with sustainable beekeeping practices and to minimize stress on the bees, we will leave the hives on your property year-round until you no longer want them.
Every fall following our general harvest, we will provide you with 1kg of free honey per hosted hive, and 2kg from any hosted hive that produces enough honey for a harvest (beyond what the colony needs for the winter).
As a "hive host", you will also qualify for discounts for the honey and wax products we offer.
This is a FREE offering. We will expand our hosting as our colonies reproduce and more hives are available, so please be patient if we don't have enough hives yet to satisfy all requests.

What's the first step?

Click the button below to contact us, so we can discuss the possibility of hosting hives and kickstart the process:

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