Feature: Urban Beekeeping

Having honeybees around in our communities offers many benefits, from biodiversity to honey production and educational opportunities. These fluffy, chubby winged insects play a crucial role in the pollination of hundreds of vegetables, fruits, and oilseeds.

But wait a second! Did you know that you can actually keep honeybees in the City of Burnaby?

Urban beekeeping, or apiculture, refers to the practice of keeping honeybees for domestic or commercial purposes and has recently gained greater acceptance in urban environments.

The City of Burnaby supports urban beekeeping while also setting out a number of important rules that apiculturists, or beekeepers, should keep in mind.

Source: The Orchard Garden

Where in Burnaby can bees be kept?

There are seven Residential Zoning Districts (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R10, and R11) that permit beekeeping as an accessory use for residential purposes. Individual property lots can only be for single family dwelling and cannot be less than 15 metres in width or have areas of less than 6,000 square feet.

Agricultural Zones A1 (Agricultural District), A2 (Small Holdings District), and A3 (Truck Gardening District) also permit beekeeping for domestic and commercial purposes.

How many can be kept?

In participating Residential Zoning Districts, only two beehives and two nucleus colonies are permitted per each lot.

Where can I find out more?

The City of Burnaby distributes this handy flyer here outlining the basic of beekeeping within the municipality.

For more information on zoning districts and bylaws in the municipality, visit the City of Burnaby website: http://burnaby.ca/City-Services/