Omlet

A new and improved design of beehive could be used by city dwellers to harvest up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of their own honey each year, according to Natural England, a British government conservation agency. The hives could also help stem the decline of bee populations.

Natural England will erect the so-called Beehaus on its roof in Victoria, central London, on Friday. The agency said the device should make it easy for anyone — from amateurs to seasoned apiarists — to help bees find a home in urban gardens.

“With the help of urban gardeners, bees can have access to a wonderfully diverse source of plants, resulting in fantastic flavorsome honey,” said James Tuthill, a co-founder of Omlet, the company that made the Beehaus, in a statement. The risk of city dwellers receiving bee stings would not be increased by the practice, officials said.

Urban beekeeping is already more than just a hobby for gardening enthusiasts or dedicated apiarists.

Fortnum & Mason, a food emporium in London, and the Palais Garnier, the Paris opera house, both have rooftop hives. In the United States, hives have been planned for the lawn of the White House.



There also is more to the beekeeping campaign than ensuring plentiful supplies of superior honey. Since 2003, there have been reports of serious losses of bees from hives in Europe and the United States.

The European Food Safety Authority says the true extent of the losses is hard to estimate but it reports that in Italy alone up to half of bees may have died in 2007.

The cause of the die-offs, known as colony collapse disorder, is unknown, although numerous factors could be responsible including starvation, viruses, mites, pesticide exposure and climate change, according to the authority.

Some members of the European Parliament have also blamed overly intensive bee production methods, pesticides and the use of genetically modified crops.

Bees play an important role in the pollination of crops including the large majority of vegetables produced in Europe, so a decline in honeybee populations could have a serious impact on agricultural production.

“We need to recognise that, if we want plants to flourish, we need healthy populations of insects to sustain them,” said Tom Tew, the chief scientist for Natural England.