Bee one third

Bee One Third brings urban beekeeping to Brisbane

Introducing rooftop hives to Brisbane’s inner city and suburban areas is Bee One Third. The creation of part-time beekeepers Jack Wilson and Kat Skull, Bee One Third aims to increase local denizens’ awareness of food origin and miles as well as save the beloved honeybee.

The poor honeybee has a lot of elements against it – pesticides, hive beetles, European Foul Brood and varroa mite. So by increasing the number of local bees in Brisbane, Bee One Third can employ sustainable beekeeping practices and boost local bee community numbers. With the name inspired by the fact that one third of our global food system is pollinated by the honey bee, Bee One Third is working towards realising its dream of installing at least one hive in every suburb.

Two hives could be as little as 25 m apart and act and taste completely unique – the resulting golden product floral, light and very dissimilar to the store-bought versions we’ve all grown up on. Using century-old methods to install and maintain the rooftop hives, these urban apiarists are reintroducing city-dwelling bees to Brisbane, producing local honey with the taste specific to each suburb’s flora.

Passionate about introducing and continuing a community conversation about urban agriculture in Brisbane, the pair is on the lookout for cafes, restaurants and even individuals to house a hive atop their roof. Bee One Third maintains the hive and harvests the honey, with hive hosts even reaping a portion of the edible winnings for their own enjoyment. Already a thriving concept in Paris, London, Toronto and New York, the rooftop hive is reducing our honey’s paddock-to-plate distance to mere metres. Pots of the local sticky golden toast topping will be available under the brand Bee One Third Neighbourhood Honey at Sourced Grocer.

For those wanting to house a hive on their rooftop and become part of the urban beekeeping family, you can email [email protected].

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