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“Bee” in the Know About Beekeeping in Parker, Colorado

By Jim Garcia

Here’s another benefit you might find attractive if you’re thinking about living in Parker CO. Beekeeping. Yes, beekeeping! There has been a lot of buzz recently about beekeeping in Parker, Colorado, and there are a lot of great reasons to consider it. Not only can beekeeping encourage your bees to pollinate your own garden, but bees also produce beneficial products that you can either use yourself or sell – such as fresh honey and wax from honeycombs.

Bee-Keeping-In-Parker-Co

Beekeeping is not only an interesting hobby, but it’s also something that can greatly help the overall environment. Many people do not realize that over the past decade, there has been a drastic decline in the number of honeybees in the United States. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “In October 2006, some beekeepers began reporting losses of 30-90 percent of their hives.”

The disappearance of honeybees is attributable to several possible reasons, but the one of the most well-known is called Colony Collapse Disorder. The USDA describes CCD as follows: “Honey bees, which are a critical link in U.S. agriculture, have been under serious pressure from a mystery problem: Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is syndrome defined as a dead colony with no adult bees or dead bee bodies but with a live queen and usually honey and immature bees still present.

Beekeeping Ordinance

In October 2015, Parker adopted a new Town Ordinance that allows and promotes urban beekeeping. An interest in beekeeping is growing, and more information is available on the Town’s website. The Ordinance in its entirety can be viewed here.
Backyard-Bee-Hive
Some important points about the ordinance include:

  • A property lot that has at least 5,000 square feet can have two backyard beehives. The beehives must be located at least five feet inside of your property line.
  • Some HOA’s might prohibit urban beekeeping. It’s important to check with your HOA before you can assume that a beehive will be allowed on your property.
  • A beekeeping class is offered by Parker Arts. The class, “Backyard Beekeeping” is informational and can help you decide if urban beekeeping is something that you want to seriously pursue.

More information about Beekeeping

The Colorado State Beekeepers Association is made up of individual beekeepers, beekeeping organizations, and those who work in the beekeeping industry within the state of Colorado. The association, which has been in existence since 1880, has a mission:

“The Colorado State Beekeepers Association shall be composed of Beekeepers of the State of Colorado and those interested in allied industries for the purpose of producing better beekeeping methods, better beekeepers, and a more unified system of apicultural work in Colorado.”

If you are interested in urban beekeeping, a membership in the Colorado Beekeepers Association is an excellent place to start. Membership is open to anyone who is a beekeeper in the state of Colorado and/or anyone who supports beekeeping. The association publishes an event calendar on its website that includes meeting times and dates for local clubs such as the High Land Beekeeping Club which meets in the Roxborough Community Center.

Organic-Beekeeping-Honeycomb

Another association available to current or prospective beekeepers in Parker is the Mile Hive Bee Club. “This club supports and educates Colorado Front Range hobby beekeepers in sustainable, best beekeeping management practices, promotes beekeeping as part of urban agriculture and gardening, and educates the community about the importance of bees to the health of the regional ecosystem.”

The benefits of beekeeping are numerous and this is a hobby that can be easily practiced on many types of property. If you are interested in beekeeping in Parker, make sure to learn as much as possible about it by reading, watching videos, attending a class or joining a local beekeeping club.

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