http://journal-newspapers.com/index.php/in-this-issue/home-a-garden/item/27-the-backyard-beekeeper#sigProGalleria0876fd1c45
Of all the farm animals that can be found in local backyards, the latest entry in the urban agricultural trend is causing quite a buzz.
“First it was chickens, then it was goats, and now honeybees are in the spotlight,” said Corky Luster, owner of Ballard Bee Co. Luster has been teaching beekeeping classes at Seattle Tilth for three years. He was introduced to the idea that a backyard can be a mini-farm as a college student when one of his friends mentioned that he was raising chickens in his yard.
“This was back in the ’80s, when no one had chickens, so it was kind of an oddity. I went over there to see them, and saw that he had honeybees, too,” he said.
Luster was more intrigued by the bees than the chickens. He spent two years learning how to maintain healthy hives. Though he didn’t pursue beekeeping seriously at first, he got interested again about seven years ago. That was when he heard about the unexpected drop in honeybee populations around the country due to a trend called colony collapse.
In recent years, a number of beehives have become suddenly and unexpectedly depopulated, the bees seeming to simply vanish.
“It’s still going on. What happens is a high number of adult bees leave the hive, and leave the larvae and the queen behind. It’s not a normal behavior,” he said. “The losses are still very high.”
According to Luster, 30 percent of hives collapse each year. “I lost 40 percent of my hives last year. Back in the 1980s, if you had 10 percent losses, you were doing something wrong. Today, if you have 10 percent losses, you’re a hero,” he said.
Though the cause of colony collapse is unknown, Luster hopes that his company, and the classes he teaches at Seattle Tilth, will help combat the local honeybee losses. The number of hives in the U.S. has gone down sharply in recent decades. In the 1940s, there were 5.5 million hives around the country. Today, there are just 2 million, he said. “The more people that get out there to do beekeeping, the better.”
To that end, Luster cares for 125 hives, which he rents to companies and individuals around the city.
“I wanted to create an urban pollination company, like on farms, but in the city,” he said. “I have hives on top of hotels and restaurants, and in people’s backyards. ... It’s pretty novel.”
Of course, the reason most people want to try their hands at beekeeping is for the honey. Luster has found that the amount each hive produces can vary from year to year. At the low end of the scale, a hive might produce 30 pounds per year. At the high end, 150 pounds is not uncommon, though beekeepers can’t keep all the honey, since the bees need 45 to 60 pounds to consume during the winter. While large commercial beekeepers tend to have as many as 15,000 hives, backyard beekeepers in Seattle are allowed no more than four hives on their property.
As harvests go, honey is one of the easiest to store and preserve.
“It’s such a pure food. You don’t have to do anything to it,” he said, explaining that amateur beekeepers need only strain the honey to remove large pollen particles and bits of wax, then store it in a jar. No boiling or filtering is required, and preservatives are unnecessary. “Honey doesn’t go bad. It just crystalizes. You can gently reheat it, and it will clear right up again,” Luster said.
Even the process of taking the honey from the bees is not as daunting as many people think.
“[Honeybees] are gentle — they’re so gentle. I work without gloves. … It’s fun to see someone in just a T-shirt and a veil. That’s how I work,” he said.
Though most of his students start off in full-body beekeeping suits, they soon realize that they don’t need such extreme protection. There is one exception to this rule, however.
“Make absolutely sure you’re not allergic to bees. If you are, you’ll need to suit up and have an EpiPen on hand. But I know a number of beekeepers who are allergic, and they suit up, and they’re fine,” said Luster.
If you’re not sure that you want to keep hives in your yard, you can still get hands-on practice working with bees by participating at events held by local beekeeping clubs, such as the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association. Or you can rent a hive or two from Luster before buying your own.
“It’s not for everybody. There’s a bit of time commitment and money involved. It’s a bit physical at times,” he acknowledged. However, “It’s really fun. It’s not that difficult.”
This winter, Luster will be teaching two classes at Seattle Tilth. The first, Backyard Beekeeping 101, is a general introduction intended to help students decide if beekeeping is right for them.
“Trying to go over beekeeping in two hours is like trying to do a Shakespeare play in five minutes,” he warns, which is why he offers a more in-depth class for those who have decided that they want an apiary on their property. According to Luster, it’s better to establish your hives before spring. “The analogy is it’s like gardening. Around winter, you need to think about prepping,” he said.
Upcoming Backyard Beekeeping 101 classes will be held on Feb. 11 and 23, March 10, and April 12. The advanced class will be offered Feb. 25 and March 24. Seattle Tilth is located at 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. in Seattle.
For more information,
visit www.seattletilth.org.
