Honeybees are social insects belonging to the genus Apis, primarily Apis mellifera. They live in large colonies, typically consisting of thousands of individuals, and are known for their complex social structure and the ability to produce honey from nectar.

Honeybees are vital pollinators, responsible for pollinating about one-third of the foods we consume, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Their pollination activities also support biodiversity by helping wild plants reproduce, contributing to healthy ecosystems.

Honeybees primarily consume nectar, which they collect from flowers. They also gather pollen, which provides essential proteins, fats, and vitamins. Nectar is converted into honey through a process of evaporation and enzymatic action, while pollen is used to feed the colony’s larvae.

On the roof, people do not disturb bees, nor do bees disturb them. A building's roof is similar to a tall tree, and thus it is a natural environment for bees.

Urban honey can be eaten with a good appetite. Bees are capable of cleaning the honey of air pollutants and heavy metals. 

A good example of this is the research beehives placed around German airports, from whose honey samples are taken for heavy metals. Airport honey is sold in airport shops.

Honey production begins when worker bees collect nectar from flowers and store it in their honey stomachs. Back at the hive, they regurgitate the nectar and pass it to other bees, who chew it and mix it with enzymes. The bees then spread the nectar in hexagonal beeswax cells, where they fan it with their wings to reduce moisture content, transforming it into honey.

Bees are generally hairy and adapted for pollen collection, making them efficient pollinators. Wasps, on the other hand, tend to have smooth bodies, are often more aggressive, and primarily prey on other insects. While some wasps can also pollinate, they are not as effective as bees.

Honeybees can sting if they feel threatened. Their stinger is barbed, which means they can only sting once; after stinging, the bee typically dies. They usually avoid stinging unless their hive is threatened or they are provoked.

Honeybees face several threats, including habitat loss due to urbanization and agricultural expansion, pesticide exposure that can weaken or kill them, diseases and parasites (like Varroa mites), and climate change, which affects their foraging patterns and habitat.

Yes, honeybees can be kept in urban areas, and many cities encourage beekeeping as a sustainable practice. However, it’s important to check local regulations and obtain necessary permits. Proper management practices, such as ensuring adequate food sources and maintaining hive health, are essential for successful urban beekeeping.

In our own research, we have observed that bumblebees, red mason bees, and honey bees prefer the blossoms of different plants and thus do not compete for the same food. We also keep our honey bee colonies small to avoid a competitive situation.

HumbleBee Oy is a company specializing in urban beekeeping, whose goal is to develop nature-based solutions that support the biodiversity of the urban environment in collaboration with researchers and bees. In addition to a conventional beehive service, HumbleBee offers various environmental biodiversity and air quality analyses where bees act as critically important sample collectors. The current business is practically B2B service sales to owners of commercial and business properties. Customers pay an annual service fee for the beehive service at the beginning of each calendar year, and the majority of customers have multi-year contracts. Perhaps the most representative customer case is the employment pension company Elo, which has ordered the beehive service for seven commercial properties it owns and sees the beehives as a concrete way to implement its real estate investment responsibility strategy.