Flower City Beeworks

Flower City Beeworks Roof-top urban beekeeping in the Flower City of Rochester, NY 🌻
Native & urban pollinator awareness through collabs & education 🐝
DM/👀 for sales 🍯

The queen herself made an appearance for World Honeybee Day! Thank a bee today 🐝
08/15/2026

The queen herself made an appearance for World Honeybee Day! Thank a bee today 🐝

07/28/2026

Rooftop urban beekeeping wasn’t my plan from the outset of when I started looking into keeping honeybees in 2020, but I’ve found it has so many benefits to the bees and our community here in the Flower City, and the views aren’t bad either!

I started flowercitybeeworks shortly after establishing my first rooftop hive in Rochester with the idea of bringing more pollinators to an environment where their habitats may be more limited, and also urban pollinator education and advocacy. Along the way, I loved seeing the bees create a unique honey that was a reflection of the Flower City itself. It turns out downtown Rochester is a great habitat for the bees; way more floral diversity than rural areas, less large-scale pesticide use, and the buildings tend to keep the bees warmer through winter. It’s given me an even deeper appreciation for this city as I see it through the bees’ eyes.

And, the honey always tastes a bit different, based on whatever is blooming in that neighborhood each season! Our 3 Strangebird rooftop hives brought in a whopping 215lbs of a light, but very floral honey last year 🍯

Keeping hives in the city has transformed beekeeping into something much more collaborative and community-focused for me. The bees have become a great way to spark conversations, involve more people, and help people reconnect with where their food comes from. Through partnerships with and St Mark's & St John's Episcopal Church, the hives have also become part of community garden efforts that help provide fresh produce and honey to local families through food pantry programs.

It’s been cool to see how these small colonies can create connections between people, nature, and the community around them. Bees are definitely helping keep the Flower City beautiful in more ways than one.

📷 - Kate Sage // Nick Lord 1/8

Fresh spring honey coming atcha! These bees are absolutely crushing it this season and we’ve had our biggest spring har...
07/25/2026

Fresh spring honey coming atcha! These bees are absolutely crushing it this season and we’ve had our biggest spring harvest to date. It’s also the lightest spring honey I’ve ever gotten, with some really delicate floral notes. Swing by for a sample and some jars at:

- Westside Farmers Market HoneyFest Tuesday 7/28
- Railroad Street Fest Sunday 8/2

Buzz on over and say hi!

📸 - Mina Kessler

Bees abroad! We spotted a swarm of Irish Honeybees as well as other pollinators on our recent vacation, because no matt...
07/03/2026

Bees abroad! We spotted a swarm of Irish Honeybees as well as other pollinators on our recent vacation, because no matter where I go, I somehow end up finding bees 🍀🐝

Fun fact - Ireland has their own subspecies of honeybee (black bees - apis mellifera mellifera) that have adapted to flying and foraging in colder, wet climates more common in the country. They make a particular honey called heather honey, a dark earthy honey with smoky and caramel notes that is said to be very high in antioxidants and have anti inflammatory properties. Not to mention, it tastes fantastic in tea 🍵

Happy National Pollinator Week to all of the native, non-native, and future pollinators that keep the Flower City beauti...
06/25/2026

Happy National Pollinator Week to all of the native, non-native, and future pollinators that keep the Flower City beautiful!

📸 #1 - Kate Sage

Tomorrow!
06/17/2026

Tomorrow!

I’ve been asked a lot how we get bees onto these rooftops — and the truth is, there’s no single method. Moving a box of ...
05/12/2026

I’ve been asked a lot how we get bees onto these rooftops — and the truth is, there’s no single method. Moving a box of 12,000 bees through buildings and several stories up usually takes some combination of coordination, ladders, forklifts, or pulleys. It’s a lot of work every time, but these rooftops make incredible homes for the bees, and it’s always worth the effort to create spaces that support both pollinators and the communities around them.

📸 -

We got a swarm call on Grand Ave. 1 hour before the rain came in yesterday, and thankfully the trampoline made this one ...
05/06/2026

We got a swarm call on Grand Ave. 1 hour before the rain came in yesterday, and thankfully the trampoline made this one an easy catch to get out of there on time!

Honeybee colonies most often swarm when they’ve grown too big for their home, causing the queen and 60% of the bees to leave to find a new home, and leave behind eggs that will turn into new queens to continue the original colony. The swarm often lands in a temporary spot, like under this trampoline, while scouts look for a new home they will re-swarm to. Swarm look intimidating, but are typically quite calm since they have no eggs or larva to defend!

These bees are headed for a nice cozy home in our beechwood apiary a few blocks away! If you ever see a swarm, please reach out to us or the swarm list on the Rochester Beekeepers Swarm Catcher List, so these pollinators can be safely rehomed!

Address

850 Merchants Rd
Rochester, NY
14609

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