Bee U boosts pollination in local gardens
Brandon University’s “Bee U” project is helping pollinate flower and vegetable gardens in the Wheat City, resulting in a rich variety of honey produced, according to Grant Hamilton, one of the project’s proponents.
In April 2022, the City of Brandon planning commission unanimously approved a variance for the new urban beekeeping project, allowing Brandon University to install four hives on its campus for five years.
The hives are usually placed on the roof of Harvest Hall and maintained by a beekeeper registered under the Manitoba Bee Act. They are installed in the spring and removed every August for overwintering after producing around 45 kilograms of honey each.
Hamilton told the Sun the project has seen remarkable progress in its first three years, with its beekeeping research yielding significant findings and advancements.
“Unlike commercial honey, where bees often have access to only a single crop, our bees are ranging through the flower and vegetable gardens of Brandon from trees to rose bushes to cucumbers,” he said.
“This means that Bee U bees are helping out by pollinating people’s gardens. It also gives us a rich variety in our honey. In different spots of different hives, honey that’s produced at different times from different sources can be completely different. Some of the Bee U honey is dark and almost smoky, while we’ve also sampled crystal clear honey with no colour at all, with a peppermint aftertaste.”
He added the team is trying to save different samples to get different DNA analyses. “When we extract the honey, much of this is mixed to make the final product that goes into jars.”
The initiative, he said, has grown in complexity, as each year has brought new lessons in a variety of areas, from beekeeping fundamentals to honey production and sales.
Researchers have delved into the regulations and bylaws governing urban beekeeping, which will shape future policies in Brandon, he said.
This year’s honey harvest is expected to double last year’s, and Hamilton attributes this success to several factors. First, the team’s growing expertise in managing the hives has played a crucial role.
The team removed 41 honey boxes this season, a significant increase from previous years. Hamilton credits this boost to the abundance of flowers blooming throughout Brandon all summer, in contrast to commercial operations that rely on crops that bloom early and collectively.
“We’ve also been lucky,” Hamilton added. “We haven’t lost a hive yet, although many commercial operations lose up to half their hives in winter.”
While beekeeping techniques themselves haven’t changed much over the years, Hamilton said the team’s familiarity with the tools and techniques has significantly improved.
“It’s amazing to be part of a tradition that dates back thousands of years,” he said. “But under the mentorship of experienced beekeeper Mike Clark from near Treesbank (in the Wawanesa area), our skill sets have sharpened.”
One of the most notable improvements in the project has been the relocation of the hives. The bees are now housed atop the student union building, where they can be observed through large windows.
“It’s a great spot,” Hamilton said. “You can see the bees coming and going, and I find it motivating to work with them buzzing around.”
As the team looks ahead, he added, their goal is to work with city officials to propose a framework for urban beekeeping once the variance ends. Another aim is to continue educating the public about pollinators and “how simple changes — like mowing lawns less frequently or leaving leaf mulch in gardens — can benefit bees and other insects.”
However, financial sustainability remains a challenge for the project.
Despite strong public interest, the initiative has not yet turned a profit.
“Profit was never the goal,” Hamilton said, “but we want to understand the financial realities of beekeeping, and we’ve learned it’s a tough business.”
The team, he added, is exploring the potential for Brandon University to establish a bee service centre, which could fill a gap in Westman, where beekeepers often need to travel to Winnipeg or out of province for essential services.
