Bees in Boston
Take a dive into Boston's bees with these resources compiled by GrowBoston staff.
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The Boston Beekeeping Ordinance is Live!
The Beekeeping Ordinance, passed by City Council in February 2024, will make Boston beekeeping more accessible than ever.
Boston residents can now keep bees for personal use anywhere in the city. Previously, beekeeping was regulated with the same requirements as keeping other livestock, which significantly limited the areas in which it was allowed. Residents must register their beehives on their property and pay a one-time registration fee. The City of Boston’s Inspectional Services Department has established the registration process, and those who wish to register bees in Boston should note:
- There is a $25 registration fee.
- There is a maximum number of three hives per any given lot or roof.
- There are height and setback requirements, among other parameters, built into the ordinance language. Please visit ISD’s website for more details on those parameters.
Boston’s Inspectional Services Department has established its beekeeping registration process, which is outlined on the Inspectional Services website.
Please reach out to Shani Fletcher, Director of GrowBoston, at shani.fletcher@boston.gov or 617-635-0466, for support regarding the registration process, or if you would like to engage in future beekeeping-related resources and opportunities.
Commissioner's Bulletin CB2024-05 "Establishment of Application Requirements, Administrative Procedures and Administrative Regulations regarding the Licensing of Keeping of Honey Bees" is in effect as of December 5, 2024. Visit Inspectional Services Keeping of Honey Bees page to read the bulletin in full.
Why Bees?
Bees are vital for urban ecosystem health.
Honey bees and other pollinators feed on the natural biodiversity of city environments. Honey bees enjoy visiting many different types of plants, and thrive in green urban environments.
In cities like Boston, honey bees find safe havens in community gardens and urban farms within the city. It is a mutually beneficial relationship. Without community gardeners and urban farmers, honey bees would have access to less plant diversity. And, without honey bees, community gardens and urban farms would have less plant success.
GrowBoston is happy to support local beekeepers because honey bees play a critical role in our food system. According to the USDA, honey bees pollinate $15 billion of crops in the United States every year. This includes over 130 types of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Honey bee pollination is estimated to contribute to approximately one-third of the total human dietary supply. Without honey bees, the agricultural system would collapse.
Beyond plants, research has shown that having a diversity of green spaces in cities improves human health by:
- lowering temperatures
- cleaning the air, and
- boosting mental health.
Additionally, when urban agriculture thrives, more people eat local, healthy food, increasing the resilience of the Boston community.
Bee Facts
What types of animals are pollinators?
Pollinators are more than just bees. They are every animal that drinks nectar or picks up pollen as they move from plant to plant. Pollinators include bees, birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, and small mammals.
What are honey bees?
Honey bees are a domesticated type of bee brought to the US as an agricultural resource. Honey bees are kept in bee hives and supported by beekeepers. Popular crops grown in Massachusetts like apples, berries, and cranberries rely on honey bees to survive.
What are native bees?
Not all bees are alike. In the United States alone, there are over 4,000 types of bees. Native bees differ largely in functionality, size, and other characteristics. Native bees sometimes only feed on one species, such as the blue sage bee, which only pollinates the blue sage plant. Others are adapted to certain environments, such as the perdita perpallida. This tan bee adapted to prairie environments where they nest in the sandy soils. Because there is such a high variety of native bees, they actually perform more ecosystem services than honeybees.
What are other native pollinators to Boston?
Types of native bees common to Massachusetts are bumblebees, carpenter bees, sweat bees, and mining bees. Bumblebees are social bees, building hives as a society of bees. But carpenter, sweat, and mining bees are all solitary bees that nest individually. Butterflies and moths are also pollinators. They enjoy feeding on native plants such as milkweed and columbine. Additionally, Massachusetts is home to ruby-throated hummingbirds, as well as some species of flies and beetles.
What species do pollinators like the most?
Pollinators are attracted to different plants depending on the anatomy of the flower and the insect. For example, bats cannot pollinate a delicate, small flower as well as a bee can. And a bee cannot pollinate a flower with a long stem as well as a hummingbird can. In general, the best plants for pollinators are American native perennial plants, annual flowers that have pollen, and herbs, shrubs, and trees. Native plants to Massachusetts that are attractive to bees include milkweed, New England aster, and bergamot.
What is honey bee hive life like?
There are three types of bees in a hive:
- a queen bee
- female worker bees, and
- male drone bees.
Queens direct the hive’s actions, laying eggs and managing bee activities. Worker bees have different roles. These includecollecting nectar and pollen, maintenance and cleaning, or protecting the hive. Drone bees solely exist to mate with the queen.
What is the pollination process like for honey bees?
Honey bees can pollinate up to 40 flowers per minute. They prefer to stick to a singular flower species per pollination trip. This helps bees collect more nectar and pollen over time. Bees perceive ultraviolet light, not visible light like humans. This helps them see sunlight better, even on cloudy days. The sun helps them tell time. Bees can travel up to five miles away from a hive for food. But, they normally stick within a two mile radius of the hive.
Beekeeping rules in Boston:
In Boston, beekeeping is only currently allowed in a select number of neighborhoods. This map lays out the current zoning for the keeping of honey bees. Currently, beekeepers are allowed to keep up to two hives in their backyards. Hives must be at least five feet away from property lines or be separated by a wall, fence, or other barrier from the property line. A new ordinance and zoning regulation change was proposed by City Council in October 2022. This may soon change the beekeeping rules in Boston. Read more about the ordinance.
Boston Bee Resources
ResourcesBoston Area Beekeepers Association, or BABA, is a group of beekeepers and bee enthusiasts in Greater Boston. BABA offers resources for new and experienced beekeepers alike. They focus on educating people about best practices regarding:
- beekeeping
- bee safety, and
- connecting beekeepers to one another.
Massachusetts Beekeepers Association, or Mass Bee, is a statewide organization of beekeepers and bee enthusiasts. Similar to BABA, their mission is to:
- educate the public on honeybees and
- connect beekeepers in order to share best practices of beekeeping.
They host events, teach people how to keep bees, and help beekeepers stay on top of regulations around beekeeping in Massachusetts.
Classroom Hives is an educational nonprofit that places observation hives in classrooms in New England. The goal is for students to learn about the importance of bees. Classroom Hives provides lesson plans for interested teachers at different grade levels to provide a comprehensive educational experience.
Article 89 Made Easy is a Boston Planning & Development Agency-created resource. It discusses the rules and regulations around urban agriculture in the City of Boston. It has a section covering the accessory keeping of hens and honey bees. This profiles the current rules around beekeeping in the City.