The Urban Apiarist

27/08/2025

Honoured to be featured in this piece from the Guardian on wild bees’ balancing diets.

The article shows the importance of protecting both bees and their ecosystems:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/27/wild-bees-visit-different-flowers-to-balance-diet-study

22/08/2024

19/08/2024

When looking for bee eggs, I recommend briefly positioning your brood frame in front of the sun. I find this illuminates the frame like no other. This makes it easier to spot eggs - tricky business without light!

Photography -

05/07/2024

We really appreciate all the wonderful feedback from our recent campaign with Barbour! We have a write-up on our blog about the collaboration, have a look!

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Barbour for their June 2024 “Way of Life” campaign, featuring The Urban Apiarist’s founder Michael Walsh, his home apiary and one of our corporate client’s apiary.

01/06/2024

I partnered with Barbour to share my experiences of urban beekeeping in London.

I also shared my vision of a more pollinator friendly urban jungle, giving individuals & businesses the chance to contribute to the conservation of bees and London’s amazing biodiversity. 🐝🌷

Check out the full collaboration on: https://www.barbour.com/barbour-way-of-life

Michael Walsh is the urban beekeeper maintaining thriving apiaries on the rooftops of bustling central London. Though unconventional, Michael’s rooftop apiar...

20/05/2024

Happy World Bee Day 🌍 🐝 Shout out to all the beekeepers out there doing their bit for the bees and the bees themselves for playing such an important role on earth!

01/05/2023

Visible mutations are most often seen in drones (male bees). As drones develop from unfertilized eggs, they have only one set of chromosomes.

A recessive gene gives drones white eyes. This is the first time I’ve seen this with my bees!

White eyed drones behave like other drones up until they are old enough to take their first flight. Once they fly, as they are blind, they fly wildly in circles, sadly rarely returning to their hive! 🐝

22/04/2023

Happy Earth Day 🌎 Bees are some of the most important creatures on earth and along with other pollinators make our existence possible! It’s a real honour to be able to help their cause 🐝

13/01/2023

Have you ever seen one of these?! It’s called beehive ginger (zingiber spectabile). Native to Southeast Asia, it can be used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It’s actually the plants modified leaves that make it resemble a beehive! The flowers peek out between the modified leaves 🐝

28/12/2022

Thanks to for selecting me as their 2022 Apiarist of the Year for London and South East England 🐝 - https://prestigeawards.co.uk

09/12/2022

Making friends at the apiary 🦊

04/12/2022

Thank you to PSMG for featuring me in the latest edition of their magazine, Centrum 🐝 Please see the following link for the full edition - https://dh-design.foleon.com/psmg/centrum-winter-2022-23/