Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Neighborly Love: Reducing The Sting of Urban Beekeeping
(Photo by Krista Simmons/LAist)
()
Urban beekeeping has seen a rise in popularity with the resurgence of home gardening. But not everyone is excited about enthusiasts plopping bee boxes in their backyards. In fact, many cities are experiencing battles over home hives. Those for domestic beekeeping site the importance of pollination for our food supply, and those against are concerned with allergies and safety.
Some are so upset by the urban beekeepers that they're taking matters into their own hands. Grist published a guide to beekeeping etiquette today, which sited the loss of one local beekeeper.
"Earlier this summer Michael Schwartz, a newbie beekeeper in Altadena, Calif., lost the roughly 10,000 bees inside three hives that he kept on the roof of his garage. He believes someone scaled his garage and sprayed something — a pesticide, maybe, or even something like oven cleaner — into the hives. 'The bees would come out of the hive and then just fly in circles until they stopped moving,' he says. It’s not just the monetary and emotional toll of the lost hives that bother Schwartz: 'Someone put poison into the food supply for me and my family,' he says."
Support for LAist comes from
Says Morrison's story:
"Bees are so scarce that California almond growers are having to patronize rent-a-hive businesses to get the bee pollinators into their orchards. Agriculture isn’t just "out there" either. Urban gardeners and urban gardens could help to save bee populations, and Los Angeles still bears traces of what it once was, even after World War II: the richest agricultural county in the nation."
Beekeeping is still illegal here in Los Angeles, but Santa Monica has legalized the activity, and an L.A.-based group called Honeylove is working to expand that area to the rest of L.A. (They celebrated National Honey Bee Awareness Day this past weekend.)
Grist suggests some tips for activists and gardeners seeking to keep the peace while keeping bees: Talk to neighbors before bringing in the hives; educate them about the important role pollinators play in our food supply; register your bees with a state registry and keep good records; ensure that you always provide water for the bees, so they don’t go looking for other water sources; have an emergency plan if things go wrong and bees become aggressive; and don’t work with your beehive when people are nearby.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.
-
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline.
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist