Have you ever thought of providing local pollination from your own home? Whether you want to hardly lift a finger or go all in and be one with the bees, Northwest Apiary Services makes this possible. Co-Founders Monica Burdette and Karly Kerr are beyond passionate about making beekeeping local, sustainable, and accessible.
Photograph by Tristyn MacDonald
Every county and city has different sets of rules to abide by when it comes to beekeeping, including Bellingham. Kerr and Burdette can provide an assessment of your land to determine what needs to be done to curate an environment where the bees will survive and thrive.
By renting a hive, you get an established colony for six months, with regular maintenance done for you. If you’re in Bellingham, you can rent single hives at $75 each per month; for the rest of Whatcom County, there’s a two-hive minimum. Benefits include honey and beeswax straight from your backyard, increased crop yields, and enrichment of your local ecosystem. Bees also produce propolis, which is largely medicinal. Northwest Apiary Services also offers full apiary installation, either leaving the maintenance to you or providing regularly scheduled service. Outside city limits, if your hives need maintenance, they require the homeowner to rent at least two. If you’re unable to host hives or don’t want one in your backyard but still want to strengthen local pollination, they offer the option to adopt a hive. Those who adopt a hive will still receive their very own honey harvest!
What caused Kerr and Burdette to join forces was their shared philosophy for holistic beekeeping. They don’t use chemical treatments on their hives and only intervene when absolutely necessary. This means they spend a lot of time with the colonies to make sure everyone is in line. Education is the main goal of Northwest Apiary Services; they’re always encouraging customers to be as hands-on as they are comfortable with.
Photograph by Tristyn MacDonald
“If you want to buy a bee suit, while we’re there [doing maintenance] you can look over our shoulder to see what’s going on. The more people that learn the skill, the better,” says Burdette.
By getting the hives in the hands of our community, we can blanket the county with these little pollinators that haul a big weight. Bees only typically fly within a two-mile radius, which is not very far! Meaning the more bees the better, especially in a time when their population is struggling. They are greatly beneficial in many ways but often get pinned as bad guys because of the fear they instill among people.
“I have never been stung by any of my bees. The only time [Burdette] has been stung is when she’s doing something that is kind of upsetting to them,” says Kerr.
Just like us, they’re only trying to survive. One of the many things Burdette loves about her bees is their ever-changing habits and personalities. It always keeps her on her toes and she, of course, has her favorite bee children.
Photograph by Tristyn MacDonald
Even if you don’t have the means to own bees, there are smaller ways to help your local bee population thrive. You can purchase mason bee tubes, leave your garden a bit messier so they can house themselves in your leaf litter, and plant native species that can host bees—even if it’s just a potted plant on your patio. Got a swarm? Don’t spray them! Northwest Apiary offers free swarm removal, and they’ll even reward your kindness with your choice of honey or beer.
Kerr and Burdette always hope to spark people’s interest in bees and occasionally host educational opportunities, which you can find more information about on their social media pages or by phone.
Bellingham, 360.389.6530, IG @northwest_apiary_services, Facebook @Northwest Apiary Services
