If you love local honey, you can’t get any better than from your own backyard

Have you ever thought about keeping bees but don’t have the equipment or know-how? Maybe you’ve got a lot of fruit trees or veggies growing and want to boost your pollination. Or maybe you just want to do your part to boost bee populations within the Melbourne area!

What are the benefits of hosting a hive?

Honey

You’ll receive 4kg of raw honey for each hive you host. If your hive fails or doesn’t produce enough honey for harvest (which sometimes happens) you will receive two jars of honey from one of the other hives in our program.

Pollination

If you’re a gardener, it’s very likely that you already have a bee-friendly environment. And adding a hive to your garden will certainly boost your pollination rates!

The environment

Bees play a critical role in our ecosystem and our food system, but are facing more threats than ever before. By becoming a hive host you can help bee population and the greater environment.

Harvesting honey from Barbara's hive in Forest Hill

What do I need to host a hive?

Food

Bees collect pollen and nectar from plant flowers as their source of food. Thanks to the many gardens throughout our suburbs having many different plants, bees are often spoiled for choice.

Water

Bees need a nearby source of water. Bees collect more than just nectar and pollen. They also gather a whole lot of water. A pond or bird bath is perfect — you don’t want the bees drinking from your neighbours’ swimming pool!

Location

The hive location has a big impact on how successful it will be. Ideally, the hive should face in a northerly direction and be placed in dappled shade, and be protected from the wind.

Flight path consideration

Think about where the bees are likely to go as they leave the hive. You don’t want hundreds of bees flying over the kids’ play area or path to the car park!

Want to host a hive?

To find out more, contact us below.

Please note we currently have a waiting list for hosting hives, and preference goes to those within 7km of Forest Hill. To ensure suitability, a site inspection will be held prior to a hive being introduced to a property.