It’s Called Urban Beekeeping

Kelli holds a dear frame from a dear super. Photos past times Melissa Donald 

By Alissa Hicks
Three years ago, Kelli McAllister Bailey decided she wanted to embark on a novel adventure. While she never booked a bird ticket or hopped inward the automobile to drive across the country, she took on a novel life correct inward her small, urban backyard. “I decided I wanted to live a beekeeper.”


With that, Kelli got to travel doing her research. She starting fourth dimension attended the Kentuckiana Beekeeping Association’s land 24-hour interval together with was fifty-fifty to a greater extent than certain she wanted to brand this happen. “It takes a lot of research. For nearly half dozen months I read books, talked to other beekeepers, together with fifty-fifty had somebody out to assess my yard. Of course, making connections amongst others inward the community took a piece every bit well.”

Kelli stands behind a beehive. The altitude box is the dear super, the middle box is the 2d deep super for brood, together with the bottom box is the starting fourth dimension deep super for brood.  The bees reason on the rocks inward the tray which also contains H2O for them to drink. These rocks forestall them from drowning piece drinking the water. 

Kelli, who lives inward the Clifton neighborhood, says she has a tiny backyard precisely that apiculture doesn’t ever accept a lot of space. “You tin forcefulness out pretty much croak on them anywhere. It’s called urban beekeeping.” As she was starting fourth dimension starting out, Kelli relied on the assistance of Beth Wagner, the treasurer of the Kentuckiana Beekeeping Association. “Beth gave me a whole hive of bees to start. It was inward Dec together with nosotros had to carry the bees from Lexington Road to the Portland area. Unfortunately, the bees didn’t brand it. By this fourth dimension though, I had a novel mentor together with nosotros looked to a greater extent than closely into why the bees didn’t survive.” Beekeeping tin forcefulness out live tough inward the winter, although the bees tin forcefulness out commonly remain warm inward the hive.

Smoke from a smoker is used to block the bees' warning pheromone. The fume also keeps the bees calm
which protects the beekeeper.

“The adjacent saltation I got a novel “package” of bees.” If you lot are wondering — yes, Kelli ordered the bees together with received them via mail. Kelli purchased her fix of land bees — equipped amongst a queen bee —from Kelley Beekeeping Company inward Clarkson, Kentucky. “There are nearly 10,000 bees inward the package. The queen is held separately inside the same package. The queen bee is completely unrelated to the residual of the bees together with then they have got to learn used to her pheromones first.”

Kelli explains inward exceptional the procedure of the bees together with how the hive survives — which is quite extensive. I gauge nosotros know straightaway where the term “busy bee” comes from. Most beekeepers similar to obtain the dear their hive(s) brand precisely Kelli says her dear is “bastard honey.” Because she is inward an urban setting, this way that her bees learn nectar from all sorts of plants such every bit clover, dandelion, etc. It is true, though, that dear is a expert natural remedy for many things. “Honey tin forcefulness out assistance amongst hangovers, wounds, allergies, together with has anti-microbial together with anti-inflammatory properties,” says Kelli. “It’s dissimilar for everyone. I don’t arrive at it for the honey, I’m to a greater extent than of a hobbyist beekeeper. I did learn dear from my hive terminal twelvemonth precisely it was a newer hive together with then I was exclusively able to learn nearly xi pounds. Most hives you lot tin forcefulness out learn nearly lx pounds of honey.” Kelli adds that it takes nearly i one G one thousand flowers to learn i teaspoon of honey!

Top left: Inside of the 2d deep super for brood; Bottom left: Kelli lifts a brood frame. 

Though Kelli finds fourth dimension to accept attention of her bees, she also works for the Food Literacy Project where she teaches kids nearly vegetables together with harvesting, every bit good every bit cooking amongst fresh create using uncomplicated salubrious recipes. As if she isn’t busy enough, she late has started making her ain lather which she sells at the St. Matthews Farmers Market.

Before this urban, organic life Kelli leads, she was inward what she calls “a mental focus.” “I wasn’t hands on at all inward the starting fourth dimension one-half of my life. I wasn’t serving the globe inward the way I wanted to. Now, my partner together with I both beekeep together together with I know for certain apiculture is something I desire to arrive at for the residual of my life. It’s a dandy service to the environment.” Kelli adds, “Bees are inward trouble, by together with large due to pesticides, together with their numbers have got been decreasing since 1947.”

Kelli, who is a mom of two, is also involved amongst Louisville Grows, enjoys knitting together with yoga, together with has a delineate solid unit of measurement Canis familiaris named Franny.

What arrive at you lot retrieve nearly Kelli's hobby? Do you lot have got a similar involvement or arrive at you lot know somebody who does? 
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