Bellows Bees: Part II: Honeybee Security Forces – Protection from the Serengeti to the Big Apple

09 April 2015

Last week, in Part I of this post, we explored the surprising world of honeybee security guards in the wilds of Africa. These guard-bees protect agricultural fields and crops against nothing less than ravenously hungry wild elephants. The bees took the assignment in stride. The elephants are now afraid of the ever-vigilant bees.

But I hear you saying, “Sure, those African bees can deal with wild animals in the heart of Africa. The African breed of the honeybee (A. m. scutellata) is the meanest, toughest and touchiest honeybee on earth. But African honeybees aren’t even allowed in the United States.

African Honeybee

In North America and Europe, the common honeybee is of the “Italian” breed. What could our good-natured, though quite productive, Apis mellifera ligustica, do when given the job of a security guard? Sure, bee security is great in the real jungle, but the urban jungle is something else. Would-be thieves play for keeps on the mean streets of New York. How will these Italian honeybees stand up to – or even survive – the daily threats from crime and criminals in the city.

Italian Honeybee

Well, I don’t know how Italian bees would do in the streets, but their turf (the turf worth protecting) is far above the street. Above the street? Yes, above the mean streets atop the mean rooftops of New York.

It’s been only a few years since honeybees were even allowed to migrate into the Big Apple. Famous as a melding pot of diverse cultures, honeybee culture wasn’t part of the deal. There might as well have been signs: “Welcome to New York, but no bees allowed!”

All that changed in about 2010, when declines in honey populations made every major North America city rethink its ban on honeybees. People living in close quarters in the heart of the city had always been worried about stinging bees. But with increased awareness, the people realized that day to day life with honeybees among them was a pleasant proposition. Still, everyone thought that the best the new residents could bring to the city was more (and fresher) honey.

But everyone was in for a surprise.

While all eyes watched the mean streets, metal began to disappear from building roofs – particularly lead from the roofs of historic buildings. Although few of us may have noticed, the price for metals has been steadily rising. With every rise, metal theft becomes more profitable and, therefore, more attractive. In many places, it’s becoming hard to find affordable insurance for the metal (and particularly lead) roofs of historic buildings.

Then, it happened.

One building owner wanted to raise bees. But his neighbors were less than enthusiastic about these new residents wandering (or flying through) the area streets. “The streets were mean enough” thought his neighbors. If the honeybees got riled-up, they might make the mean streets even meaner by stinging up a storm.

The chance of something like that happening was remote, but "why argue," thought the building owner. He already had a large flat open roof. Hopefully, the bees would be safe there. There had been metal robberies in the past. The roof was made of lead, and lead was, and is, a valuable commodity these days. If robbers came, the owner hoped that they wouldn't hurt the bees. He installed the beehives.

There were no more robberies.

Word spread and the practice of keeping a number of hives on rooftops increased. And, as it increased, lead theft from roofs decreased. It seems that these honeybees don’t take kindly to metal robbers when they come in the dark of night and start messing with the bees’ hives. Our Italian bees may not be as mean as their African cousins, but they have exactly the same venom and stings of exactly the same strength. What’s the big difference between Italian bees and African bees? The speed of the chase.

Lesson?

When you’re cornered by a swarm of really angry honeybees on a rooftop, you can’t run so fast or so far away. Would-be thieves were in for an “African treatment” even though it was coming from Italian bees.

Now that New Yorkers have the honeybee security idea down, they’re asking another question. Do their rooftops have to look like security centers? Of course not! If you’re going to have a roof full of honeybees, why not have a rooftop garden or, better yet, gardens! The flat tops of more than a few New York historic buildings are turning green! No, really, the color green! Lush gardens are beautifying the historic roofs and providing sources of nectar (a regular food-court) for their honeybee security forces.

One can’t help but shed a tear when thinking about the employment prospects for our old security standby, the canines. Lumbering and panting, these creatures sometimes need flea treatments and are subject to irritating licensing requirements. They just don’t cut the same clean-green figure as those gently buzzing and quietly working honeybees. And, of course, the dogs need to be given food, while the honeybees make food. And what food they make! Who can dislike an insect that makes something as good-tasting as honey?