NEW YORK— Beekeeper Michael Beaman’s left hand is swollen. He has recently received a few emergency calls to remove swarms of bees around the city. Getting stung is just sometimes part of the job.
Beaman holds three hives in his backyard, from which he produces honey and sells it in a few stores around Brooklyn. His three daughters, Kamil, 9, Savana, 3, and Victoria, 2, are also part of the honey business. Kamil is responsible for hand painting the labels and the other two are the official tasters. The brand, appropriately, is named “Three Sisters Honey.”
Beaman is the founder of The Brooklyn Beekeepers Club and a third generation beekeeper. He originally came to New York to act, but found himself continuing the family tradition in an urban setting. On YouTube he is known as The Naked Beekeeper, where he demonstrates, in extreme ways, how safe bees can be if you have the right attitude.
The Epoch Times: Bees in the city? Why?
Michael Beaman: I really enjoy that little bit of nature in an urban setting. Bees are very rewarding. They are very interesting as an insect, the way the live and survive as a community. They have to help each other out and think of the future of the colony. The reward of the honey, there is nothing sweeter than that.
Epoch Times: Are many New Yorkers interested in beekeeping?
Beaman: Now that it has been legalized, a lot of people are not as hesitant to have a hive or embark on beekeeping, even though they always wanted to do it or loved the whole concept of it. There is definitely an interest in learning how to do it.
Beaman holds three hives in his backyard, from which he produces honey and sells it in a few stores around Brooklyn. His three daughters, Kamil, 9, Savana, 3, and Victoria, 2, are also part of the honey business. Kamil is responsible for hand painting the labels and the other two are the official tasters. The brand, appropriately, is named “Three Sisters Honey.”
Beaman is the founder of The Brooklyn Beekeepers Club and a third generation beekeeper. He originally came to New York to act, but found himself continuing the family tradition in an urban setting. On YouTube he is known as The Naked Beekeeper, where he demonstrates, in extreme ways, how safe bees can be if you have the right attitude.
The Epoch Times: Bees in the city? Why?
Michael Beaman: I really enjoy that little bit of nature in an urban setting. Bees are very rewarding. They are very interesting as an insect, the way the live and survive as a community. They have to help each other out and think of the future of the colony. The reward of the honey, there is nothing sweeter than that.
Epoch Times: Are many New Yorkers interested in beekeeping?
Beaman: Now that it has been legalized, a lot of people are not as hesitant to have a hive or embark on beekeeping, even though they always wanted to do it or loved the whole concept of it. There is definitely an interest in learning how to do it.
It is rewarding to have a beehive. If you get it to survive the winter without using chemicals, in the spring you can do really well. You can get over 100 pounds of honey. The honey sells locally for $30-40 a pound. That is organic, locally produced single hive honey. It is very expensive to produce, but it is special.
Epoch Times: Are bees important for the city?
Beaman: Absolutely! Community gardens are very important. Without the honeybee, we would not have the pollination to grow a lot of vegetables. Every fruit tree needs a honeybee. We don’t have enough local bees to pollinate the trees; they don’t do a good enough job. It is incredibly important, if we want any kind of local agriculture, to have honeybees as well.
Epoch Times: Do you get many calls to remove swarms?
Beaman: It is normal and natural for bees to swarm. People don’t understand that because the press does not make it clear. They think it is always because of irresponsible beekeepers. Sometimes it is, but not 100 percent of the time. That is how bees have survived for millions of years—the hive will split. Swarming is a natural thing and we are here to collect swarms.
If you see a swarm, call somebody. Call the city, call the Brooklyn Beekeepers Club or the NYC Beekeepers Association and we will come and get it in an hour or two.
People should not be afraid of bees. Just have respect for them, give them their space when they swarm and let the professionals take care of situation like that. Just enjoy the fact that we are eating apples off the trees and pears off the trees, and the gardens are being pollinated by millions of bees [that] we usually do not know exist.
Epoch Times: Are bees important for the city?
Beaman: Absolutely! Community gardens are very important. Without the honeybee, we would not have the pollination to grow a lot of vegetables. Every fruit tree needs a honeybee. We don’t have enough local bees to pollinate the trees; they don’t do a good enough job. It is incredibly important, if we want any kind of local agriculture, to have honeybees as well.
Epoch Times: Do you get many calls to remove swarms?
Beaman: It is normal and natural for bees to swarm. People don’t understand that because the press does not make it clear. They think it is always because of irresponsible beekeepers. Sometimes it is, but not 100 percent of the time. That is how bees have survived for millions of years—the hive will split. Swarming is a natural thing and we are here to collect swarms.
If you see a swarm, call somebody. Call the city, call the Brooklyn Beekeepers Club or the NYC Beekeepers Association and we will come and get it in an hour or two.
People should not be afraid of bees. Just have respect for them, give them their space when they swarm and let the professionals take care of situation like that. Just enjoy the fact that we are eating apples off the trees and pears off the trees, and the gardens are being pollinated by millions of bees [that] we usually do not know exist.
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