Sentence and summary completion

When people think of honeybees, they usually imagine farms and flower-filled countryside. Yet over the past twenty years, a growing number of hives have appeared on the roofs of offices, hotels and apartment blocks in large cities. Urban beekeeping, once an unusual hobby, has become something of a fashion, and in some cities the number of hives has more than doubled within a few years.

Part of the appeal is that cities can be surprisingly good places for bees. Parks, private gardens and the trees that line many streets provide a wide variety of flowers, and because these plants bloom at different times, food is available for much of the year. In addition, city bees come into contact with fewer of the pesticides that are commonly sprayed on farmland.

Beekeepers also point to the educational value of their hives. Several schools now keep bees on their grounds, and teachers report that pupils who help to care for the insects become more interested in biology and the natural world. Some companies even offer hive visits to their staff as a way of reducing stress. The honey itself is often sold locally, and its flavour reflects the particular mix of trees and flowers in each neighbourhood.

However, not everyone is convinced that the trend is helping nature. Ecologists point out that honeybees are only one of hundreds of bee species, and most of the others live alone rather than in large colonies. When too many hives are placed in a small area, the honeybees may collect so much nectar and pollen that wild bees struggle to find enough food. In Paris, for example, researchers found that wild bees and other pollinators visited flowers less often in parts of the city where hives were densely packed. The problem is simple arithmetic: if the number of hives rises much faster than the number of flowers, there is less food for every colony.

For this reason, many experts now argue that the best way to support bees in cities is not to add more hives but to plant more flowers. Green roofs, strips of wildflowers along roads and 'bee hotels' (small wooden boxes with holes where solitary bees can lay their eggs) benefit a much wider range of insects. As one researcher put it, 'If you want to help bees, start with a garden, not a hive.'

When people think of honeybees, they usually imagine farms and flower-filled countryside. Yet over the past twenty years, a growing number of hives have appeared on the roofs of offices, hotels and apartment blocks in large cities. Urban beekeeping, once an unusual hobby, has become something of a fashion, and in some cities the number of hives has more than doubled within a few years.

Part of the appeal is that cities can be surprisingly good places for bees. Parks, private gardens and the trees that line many streets provide a wide variety of flowers, and because these plants bloom at different times, food is available for much of the year. In addition, city bees come into contact with fewer of the pesticides that are commonly sprayed on farmland.

Beekeepers also point to the educational value of their hives. Several schools now keep bees on their grounds, and teachers report that pupils who help to care for the insects become more interested in biology and the natural world. Some companies even offer hive visits to their staff as a way of reducing stress. The honey itself is often sold locally, and its flavour reflects the particular mix of trees and flowers in each neighbourhood.

However, not everyone is convinced that the trend is helping nature. Ecologists point out that honeybees are only one of hundreds of bee species, and most of the others live alone rather than in large colonies. When too many hives are placed in a small area, the honeybees may collect so much nectar and pollen that wild bees struggle to find enough food. In Paris, for example, researchers found that wild bees and other pollinators visited flowers less often in parts of the city where hives were densely packed. The problem is simple arithmetic: if the number of hives rises much faster than the number of flowers, there is less food for every colony.

For this reason, many experts now argue that the best way to support bees in cities is not to add more hives but to plant more flowers. Green roofs, strips of wildflowers along roads and 'bee hotels' (small wooden boxes with holes where solitary bees can lay their eggs) benefit a much wider range of insects. As one researcher put it, 'If you want to help bees, start with a garden, not a hive.'