Urban beekeeping found a new home this spring: we are excited to have a location at the University of Washington Urban Horticulture Center. It is a fenced, out-of-the-way area on a 74-acre botanical research site — one of the best urban beekeeping locations we have found in Seattle. We hope these bees do well enough to earn their rent!
The UW Urban Horticulture Center: A Seattle Beekeeping Landmark
The UW Center for Urban Horticulture (UWCUH) is a research site in the University District that manages a diverse mix of native and cultivated plants. For honey bees, this is exceptional forage — a wide variety of blooming species across the season. In addition to the diversity of plants, the site is protected and separated from heavy foot traffic, which makes for calmer hives.
We also attended a Puget Sound Beekeepers Association event where one member invited the club to help install over 100 packages of bees at his operation. It was an excellent opportunity to practice technique alongside experienced beekeepers. The honey house on the property was a glimpse of what a more scaled-up beekeeping operation looks like.
Rebuilding After Winter Losses
Out of 19 hives that went into last winter, only 4 survived. Two of those survivors were so weak that we combined them into a single hive. We received 18 new packages of bees, bringing our total to 21 hives. The new packages are booming despite the cool spring weather — new packages tend to build up fast once they have drawn comb to work with.
Our first farmers market date is July 1. Last year, a cold May and June delayed our market debut until August. We are hoping for a warmer spring this year. Many local beekeepers are already out of honey, and demand at Seattle farmers markets is high.