Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
19  The most common pollinator-friendly program found at airports is beekeeping. Through these programs, airports host honeybee colonies that are managed primarily by external beekeepers, although airport staff may have some involvement. Beekeeping programs can improve public relations and community engagement, expand sustainability profiles, and provide educational opportunities for staff and airport users. This chapter discusses important considerations for establishing these programs. 4.1 Beekeeper Relationship Model The success of an airportâs beekeeping program is tightly linked to the capabilities and experi- ence of its beekeeper, as it requires skill and specialized knowledge to manage honeybee colonies. For this reason, the most critical step in developing a beekeeping program is to identify a knowl- edgeable and trustworthy beekeeper who will serve as a steward to the airportâs honeybee colonies. Managing a honeybee colony is a complex task requiring specialized knowledge of the insectâs biology and life cycle, the numerous pests and pathogens that could infect a colony, and methods of treating infestations and disease, as well as the seasonal tasks associated with managing honeybee population growth and decline. Hands-off approaches to managing honeybee colonies are unlikely to be successful because of the high likelihood of pests and pathogen infestation and the necessity to manage and treat these maladies. Although introductory courses and books are helpful in learning the basics of beekeeping, there is no substitute for years of experience and, more importantly, significant time spent âin the hive.â Airports with successful beekeeping programs are those that have formed close collaborations with beekeepers. The relationship models between beekeepers and airports vary according to the goals of the airport and beekeeper. In some instances, an airport may choose a partnership that requires minimal effort from airport staff. Conversely, airports may choose to take a more active role by seeking mentorship from a professional beekeeper who offers learning opportunities for staff and the public. This chapter describes the various types of partnerships between airports and beekeepers and how these partnerships relate to the goals of the airportâs beekeeping program (see Table 5 for a summary). Appendix C lists resources to help locate potential beekeeping partners in different regions. For all airports with beekeeping programs that participated in this study, there were formal agreements between the airports and beekeepers that outlined the expected roles and responsibilities of each of the parties. See Appendix D for samples of such agreements. 4.1.1 Partnerships with Commercial Beekeepers Commercial beekeepers are professional beekeepers who depend on the sale of bees, honey, and other hive-derived products for their income. They manage hundreds to thousands of hives C H A P T E R 4 Beekeeping Programs at Airports
20 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports located across several locations and may also engage in migratory practices, traveling across the United States with their bees to fulfill pollinator contracts (providing their bees to pollinate food crops during specific bloom periods). Since professional beekeepers depend on the health of their bees for their livelihoods, they are usually highly skilled and can offer consistent and reliable care. Airports partnering with com- mercial beekeepers reported that their beekeeping programs required minimal effort from airport staff. In these types of partnerships, the airport provides land and access to the area designated for the hives, and the beekeeper owns and manages the hives. Little to no money is exchanged between the two groups; hive products such as honey belong to the beekeeper (for more detail, see Chapter 8). In these partnerships, the beekeeper benefits from having access to undeveloped, isolated, and secure apiary locations; the airport benefits from the presence of a low-maintenance program that offers opportunities for public relations messaging and campaigns. These types of partnerships work best for airports with large tracts of undeveloped land that offer adequate flowering resources to support several large apiaries consisting of 30 or more hives. Orlando International Airport Supports the Production of Specialty Honey Varietals As the nationâs third-largest airport in terms of land mass, Orlando International Airport manages over 12,000 acres of undeveloped property. These extensive landholdings provide excellent bee forage and support over 500 honeybee hives hosted at four remote apiary locations throughout the airportâs lands. Managed by a commercial beekeeping operation, these hives are moved throughout the season to take advantage of the various nectar flows in order to produce spe- cialty honey varietals, including saw palmetto and Brazilian pepper, which the beekeeper sells to the public. Honey has a unique flavor and color profile depending on the blossoms visited by the honeybees. Single varietal honeys result when honeybees gather nectar from the same type of flower. To produce these varietals, beekeepers will strategically place their hives adjacent to a single type of mass-flowering crop or wild plant and carefully monitor the collection of honey. Some nectar flows, and the honey they produce, are highly prized and valuable. Airport Approx. # of Hives Beekeeping Relationship Model NChicago OâHare International Airport 12 hives onprofit Centennial Airport (Colorado) 2 hives Fee-for-Service Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport 4 hives Fee-for-Service Indianapolis International Airport 18 hives Bee Club MinneapolisâSaint Paul International Airport 20 hives Academic Institution MontréalâMirabel International Airport 10 hives Fee-for-Service Olympia Regional Airport 4 hives Bee Club Orlando International Airport 540 hives Commercial Beekeeper Pittsburgh International Airport 110 hives Commercial Beekeeper SeattleâTacoma International Airport 30 hives Nonprofit Table 5. Size and relationship model of airport beekeeping programs.
Beekeeping Programs at Airports 21  4.1.2 Partnerships with Bee Clubs Bee clubs are organizations or associations led by beekeepers who share common goals of mentorship and education. These groups operate at the state, county or local level and are open to beekeepers of any skill level. They offer learning opportunities to their members through mentoring programs and educational workshops. Partnering with a bee club offers airports a high level of community engagement while requiring minimal effort from airport staff. However, because bee clubs are run by volunteers, a major challenge for bee clubs is maintaining knowledgeable volunteers who will provide a consistent level of care to the airportâs bees. Local bee clubs that engage with airports are provided with a location for their apiary on airport property. The club owns and manages the hives and main- tains ownership of hive products such as honey while also providing an apiary location for workshops. In these partnerships little to no money is exchanged between the airport and the beekeepers. However, beekeeping clubs that offer honey or other donations for fundraisers may help to strengthen the airport partnership and community engagement. For example, Olympia Beekeepers Association donates jarred honey to the Olympia Regional Airportâs employee auction event that helps to fund a local domestic violence shelter. These partnerships work best when apiary access is less restricted, in order to allow for club workshops and learning opportunities. With clubs, a wide range of apiary size is possible, but these tend to be smaller (2 to 20 hives) and require less land and foraging resources for bees than commercial beekeeping partnerships. Figure 6 shows a small apiary at Coloradoâs Centennial Airport. 4.1.3 Partnerships with Fee-for-Service Beekeepers In a fee-for-service model, airports pay a beekeeper to manage and maintain hives on airport property. Though some beekeepers advertise this service, airports may also find beekeepers willing to enter into this type of agreement through state and local bee clubs. As with any partnership, identifying a reputable, experienced, professional beekeeper is critical. Figure 6. Small apiaries such as this one at Coloradoâs Centennial Airport (APA) hosts two hives that serve as an educational tool for staff and to engage public interest (Source: APA, used with permission).
22 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports These partnerships are among the most expensive for airports but will provide a consistent level of professional care (see Chapter 8 for more detail). Fee-for-service partnerships also offer flexibility for airports with limited land. Apiaries can be small (consisting of two or more hives), land requirements are minimal, and accessibility is simple to manage, allowing for hives to be located in more restricted zones (such as within an AOA). When drafting formal fee-for-service agreements, airports typically consider: ⢠Start-up costs for the purchasing of the bees and equipment; ⢠Who owns any hive products (such as honey); and ⢠Additional services that may be offered by the beekeeper. An additional service a beekeeper may provide includes educational opportunities for staff or the public. For example, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airportâs contracted beekeeper is required to participate in several education sessions and events each year and to maintain an observation hive for outdoor public viewing. Since these partnerships are among the most expensive for airports, they may be the first to end when budgetary restrictions occur. For example, in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major budget cuts, two of the airports with fee-for-service models (Detroitâs Wayne County and MontréalâMirabel) had to put their beekeeping programs on hold. 4.1.4 Partnerships with Nonprofits or Academic Institutions There are numerous nonprofit organizations and academic institutions with ongoing mis- sions to improve pollinator health or awareness through research, outreach, and education. If an airport is located within the operating jurisdiction of one of these groups, they offer another option for a partnership that can provide maximum community engagement and outreach opportunities. For airports that identify partners such as these, staffing and resources are largely the respon- sibility of the nonprofit or academic institution. For example, Chicago OâHare partners with Sweet Beginnings (a beekeeping operation that is a subsidiary of the North Lawndale Employ- ment Network) to provide space on airport property, but the apiaries are managed entirely by the beekeepers. Similarly, MinneapolisâSaint Paul International Airport partners with the University of Minnesota Bee Squad, which manages the on-site apiaries without requiring effort from airport staff. In both of these cases, the airports benefit from their association with these suc- cessful ongoing projects and their partners benefit by expanding their operations. In unique situ- ations, partnerships may catalyze a nonprofitâs mission. A partnership between SeattleâTacoma International Airport and The Common Acre has resulted in a multifaceted program that includes an apiary for public engagement managed by beekeepers contracted by The Common Acre. Given the wide range of possibilities, the goals and objectives of individual partnerships should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. See Appendix C for a list of considerations that may help drive conversations with potential partners. 4.2 Environmental Conditions and Location of Hives When determining the location of hives on airports, several environmental conditions should be considered. Honeybees require water for hydration and to cool the hive during periods of heat. As temperatures increase, the percentage of bees collecting water increases. Honeybees will benefit from a clean water feature such as a pond, river, or lake within a half mile of the hive. Like all bees, honeybees depend on the availability of nectar and pollen resources from flowering plants to fuel their foraging bouts and raise their offspring. Though they will travel five or more miles
Beekeeping Programs at Airports 23  Sea-Tac Partners with The Common Acre to Bring Flight to a World-Class Program In 2013, the SeattleâTacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) became a hub for wild and managed pollinators alike. Through a partnership with The Common Acre, the Flight Path Program was developed: an exemplary, multifaceted program involving pollinator awareness, innovative research, and environmental stewardship. To engage the public, the program hosts 30 hives across three vacant lots owned by the airport. These hives are used for the production of honey, which is sold to the public by The Common Acre, largely offsetting the cost of the apiary. In 2014, Sea-Tac, in partnership with The Common Acre, raised awareness for the plight of pollinators through an art exhibition titled Flight Path within one of the airportâs terminals and featuring 24 local artists. Over two million people saw the installation, drawing attention to the airportâs beekeeping operation and to sustainability initiatives more broadly. The art exhibit later traveled to Seattle City Hall, garnering even more attention and positive acknowledgment of the airportâs pollinator program. from their hives in search of food, they benefit most from resources located within three miles of their hives (Beekman and Ratnieks 2000; Couvillon et al. 2015). It is important to note that the resources available on a landscape may change over time as plants come into bloom. Some sites offer significant forage in early spring but become food deserts for bees later in the season. In addition, though honeybees are considered generalists, they do not visit every flower species, so understanding which flowers are best to support honeybees is important. Airports have found it helpful to review potential apiary locations alongside their knowledgeable beekeeping partners to determine year-round forage availability and suitability. Apiaries located in northern regions may benefit from a wind barrier that offers protection to hives during the winter months. A tree line or small fence can serve as such a wind barrier. Another environmental consideration for apiary location is the risk of flood and fire. Locations should be assessed by airport personnel and partnering beekeepers for the potential of seasonal flooding as well as the risk of forest or grass fire. Beekeepers working honeybee hives at one of the apiaries on Sea-Tac property (Source: © Rod Hatfield for The Common Acre, used with permission). The Flight Path art exhibit was featured at Sea-Tac to raise awareness of pollinators (Source: © Rod Hatfield for The Common Acre, used with permission).
24 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports Honeybee colonies are affected by many compounds used in the environment, including fungicides and insecticides. Exposure to these chemicals can be lethal to a colony or cause devastating sublethal effects on foraging behavior, egg laying and brood rearing (Meikle et al. 2016). Identifying this potential threat on an airport and in adjacent areas is an important con- sideration when setting up an apiary. A final consideration for apiary location is accessibility for beekeeping staff and members of the public. Beekeeping programs that host workshops or educational opportunities are most accessible to participants when they are located on land that is either not contiguous to the airport or does not require additional security screening for visitors. The apiary at Detroit Metro- politan Wayne County Airport is located in a 1,050-acre wetland mitigation area that is not in a security zone. This allows the beekeepers to host small events for the public and local school groups. On the other hand, vandalism and theft can be challenging problems for apiaries in easy-to-access locations. The Olympia Beekeepers Association was forced to move its apiary to a more remote area on Olympia Regional Airport property after a hive was stolen. For apiaries located within airport security zones, the partnering beekeepers benefit from a reduction in problems like vandalism and theft. If the program values security but cannot place the apiary in a remote or secure location, adding features like a gated fence can be a solution. The Metropolitan Airports Commission contributed fencing when the University of Minnesota Bee Squad first established an apiary at MinneapolisâSaint Paul Airport. See Section 4.4 for additional consid- erations regarding accessibility. 4.3 Size of Beekeeping Operation The size of an airport beekeeping operation will depend on several factors, including the goals and objectives of the program, the land available, and the quality and abundance of forage for bees. Of the airports interviewed for this study, the size of beekeeping operations varied greatly, from as few as one hive to as many as 500; most programs hosted fewer than 30 hives. Small operations (2 to 4 hives) were most common among airports that had a fee-for-service model or partnered with a beekeeping club. Medium-sized operations (10 to 30 hives) were most common among airports that partnered with nonprofit organizations. The largest operations surveyed were located at Orlando International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport, with 540 and 110 hives, respectively; these are managed by commercial beekeepers. The availability of flowering forage resources throughout the season is an important envi- ronmental factor for determining the location of the hives. It is also critical to consider forage availability when determining the size of the operation. Since larger operations require more resources, beekeepers suggest beginning with a small number of hives and, over time, building additional hives if experience demonstrates that the site can support more bee colonies. If the surrounding landscape experiences land-use changes, responding to these changes is also impor- tant. Chicago OâHare hosts an apiary that has been moved several times as the land has been developed. Today, the apiary is tucked away in a small, vegetated corner surrounded by residential streets, busy roadways, and industrial development. It has survived over 9 years by reducing its size from 75 hives to 10 or 20 hives. For airports with large land holdings and abundant flowering forage, large beekeeping operations can be supported. Both Orlando International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport are unique in that they maintain large undevel- oped areas of land that offer abundant resources of flowering plants to support large commercial beekeeping operations with hundreds of hives. For medium to large operations, hives can be separated into groups across multiple locations to reduce competition. To reduce foraging over- lap and bee density, Pittsburgh International Airport hosts its 110 hives across three separate apiary locations, each about a mile apart.
Beekeeping Programs at Airports 25  It is important to note that the size of the operation does not have any bearing on the success of the program or the potential for public awareness. For example, the two hives at Coloradoâs Centennial Airport were, at the time of this study, located at the end of a runway and managed by Happy Busy Bees, a husband-and-wife team providing management and maintenance of hives for corporate clients and communities. Despite its small size, this award-winning program brought awareness to the airportâs sustainability efforts and was featured in numerous online and print news articles. 4.4 Accessibility Considerations Beekeepers need reliable weekly access to the hives they manage on airport property. For air- ports with apiaries in secure locations, access can be managed by providing the beekeeper with a badge or key and requiring them to report their arrival and departure from airport property to airport security or operations via phone or radio. In some cases, the airport will conduct a back- ground check on the beekeeper. For airports with apiaries in less secure locations or on property that is not contiguous with the airport, beekeepers can gain access to the apiary at any time without alerting airport operations or security. Expectations for apiary access can be included in any formal agreements between the beekeeper and airport. See Appendix D for examples. 4.5 Hive Management Considerations For airports interested in beginning a beekeeping program, it will be helpful for their relevant staff members to understand basic hive management practices. This will assist them in vetting potential beekeeping partners, fostering working relationships with beekeepers, and increasing participation in the program among airport staff. This section provides details on several impor- tant aspects of hive management to aid in these endeavors. See Appendix C for a full checklist of considerations for hive management. 4.5.1 Conducting Hive Inspections At a minimum, hives are inspected by beekeepers on a monthly basis, though they may occur as frequently as every 7 to 10 days. During these inspections, a beekeeper assesses the hive population and looks for the presence of stored pollen and honey, an egg-laying queen, and infestations of pests and signs of disease, as illustrated in Figure 7. Based on this information, a beekeeper may then perform tasks to encourage the healthy growth of a colony. When inter- viewing potential beekeepers, it is helpful to ask how often hive inspections will be conducted, who will conduct them, and that personâs level of experience. 4.5.2 Swarming and Hive Population Management Most activities undertaken by a beekeeper are related to managing a healthy colony popula- tion. If a colony is small, it will produce little honey. If a colony is too big and outgrows the space available to it, it will swarm. Swarming is a natural means of reproduction in which a single colony will split into two distinct colonies (see Figure 8). When a colony swarms, two-thirds of the existing colonyâs population absconds with the queen to find a new hive location; the remaining bees will stay behind and produce a new queen. There, the swarm may gather for several hours or for up to several days if left alone. Swarms are a natural phenomenon, but beekeepers strive to avoid swarming because it is difficult to predict where swarms will land, resulting in a loss of resources for the beekeeper. For airports, swarming may interrupt airport operations when swarms land on aircraft. For these reasons, swarm management is a critically important task for beekeepers
26 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports Figure 7. Colony inspections are conducted on at least a monthly basis by a knowledgeable beekeeper to ensure bees are healthy (Source: APA, used with permission). Figure 8. Swarming is a natural phenomenon in which a single honeybee colony splits into two separate colonies. When a colony swarms, two-thirds of the parent colony will leave in search of a new home. Swarms may interrupt airport operations when they land on aircraft and equipment. Beekeeping partners or trained airport staff can easily and safely relocate a swarm (Source: PIT, used with permission). managing hives at airports. Managing swarms can also be a means of wildlife hazard management (see Chapter 6 for more detail). 4.5.3 Pest and Pathogen Monitoring and Management Pests and pathogens are among the top threats to managed honeybees. Recent studies have found that some pathogens may spill over from managed honeybees to wild pollinators (Fürst et al.
Beekeeping Programs at Airports 27  2014; Graystock et al. 2014; Alger et al. 2019). See Chapter 6 for more detail. Careful monitoring of colony health is necessary to maintain healthy honeybees and reduce the risk of disease spillover to wild pollinators. Though there are numerous pests and pathogens that affect bees, the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is identified as the biggest threat to modern beekeeping. Introduced to North America from Asia in the 1980s, the Varroa mite feeds on the fat bodies and blood of bees, serves as a vector for deadly viruses, and suppresses the beesâ immune systems (Rosenkranz et al. 2010; Nazzi et al. 2012; Di Prisco 2013). Varroa mites are so prevalent that beekeepers can expect all hives to host the pest at some point during the year; the preferred course of action is to monitor and treat as needed. There are numerous treatment options for Varroa mites, the most effective being the combination of cultural practices and acaricide treatments. A Lesson Learned from Olympia: Beware of Donated Colonies and Used Equipment Some bee pathogens are highly contagious and may be spread easily between equipment and colonies. For example, American foulbrood produces spores that can remain infective for decades in used equipment. Varroa mites, a highly prevalent parasitic mite that transmits viruses, can spread among neighboring colonies. Before accepting any bees or used equipment, a knowledgeable beekeeper should perform a careful inspection. Some states have apiary inspectors or staff members who can help perform an inspection and provide a written document confirming the health of the hive. Olympia Regional Airportâs apiary is managed by members of the Olympia Beekeepers Association, who volunteer their time. In 2019, the club agreed to adopt a donated hive. Upon receipt and inspection, the club realized the adopted bees hosted a high infestation of parasitic mites and displayed symptoms of Deformed wing virus (a virus transmitted by the mites). The beekeepers treated the bees immediately but lost all of their colonies that winter. The beekeepers believe they experienced these high colony losses at the airport because the pest and pathogen infestation spread from the adopted hive to neighboring hives. Varroa mites on honeybee larvae (Source: S. Alger, used with permission).
28 Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports 4.5.4 Recovering From Colony Losses Over the past decade, beekeepers in the United States have reported annual colony losses averaging 39.0% (Bruckner et al. 2020). These high losses are consistent for beekeepers of all types, with backyard beekeepers who manage fewer than 50 colonies reporting slightly higher winter losses compared to commercial beekeepers who manage more than 500 colonies (42.0% and 32.9% in 2021, respectively) (Steinhauer et al. 2021). Despite these reported losses, the total number of colonies has not decreased over time (National Agricultural Statistics Service 2021). This can be attributed to experienced beekeepersâ ability to recover from losses by split- ting colonies to create new ones. Since all operations are expected to experience some level of colony loss, developing a plan to recover from these losses is integral to any sustainable beekeeping program. Since most losses occur over the winter months, having extra colonies going into winter can help to mitigate any losses that may occur. In the spring, beekeepers can split the larger surviving colonies to recover from losses. A less sustainable option for recovering from losses is the purchase of new colonies in the spring. A new bee colony (or nucleus) costs $170 to $200; this does not include most of the equipment required to house it. Budgetary goals should also be considered when developing a plan for colony loss recovery.