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URBAN HUM
Honey & beeswax produced in the heart of Newcastle
Urban Hum is a small artisan beekeeping enterprise located in Newcastle, NSW. As passionate beekeepers we are committed to the health and well-being of our honeybees. Our bees come first. This is reflected in our management practices and ethical honey production. Working alongside our bees, we produce delicious urban honey in the heart of the city. Each jar is unique to the suburb it’s made in, with small batch production and single hive origin. So you get to taste honey from one hive at a time, one suburb at a time.
CURRENTLY CLOSED
With heavy hearts, we must announce the current closure of our beekeeping business in the Red Zone. The Australia Varroa mite emergency response has led to the eradication of all our European honey bees. Our journey as beekeepers has been one of passion and dedication, and we mourn the loss of these incredible creatures who played a vital role in our lives and the environment. We will still be active in the community supporting the emergency biosecurity response and actively contributing to the restoration of crucial habitats that our native pollinators need for foraging, nesting, and survival. We will forever cherish the memories of our buzzing companions and the sweet nectar they once produced, hoping that one day, the Red Zone will bloom again with the vibrant life they and the community and wonderful students they brought into our lives.
OUR STORY
We love what we do we hope you do too.
Our beekeeping journey began with poor pollination in our suburban backyard. Zucchini plants in our veggie garden flowered beautifully, yet no Zucchinis grew! So we took ourselves off to a beekeeping course and got our first hive of bees. One hive quickly led to two. And two hives led to a full-blown passion with these majestic insects and finally to Urban Hum. We now have 110 hives dotted all over the city.
We sell our honey at local Newcastle markets as well as hosting fun and informative beekeeping workshops. Check out our events calendar and come visit us.
OUR WORKSHOPS
Bee part of the urban revolution.
Join Kelly and Anna to discover the amazing world of honeybees in Newcastle.
'I attended my beginner's beekeeping course on Saturday. It was AWESOME. Kelly and Anna are extremely passionate about bees and their bio-security. I encourage everyone to go to an Urban Hum beginner course. Even if you don't keep bees, it's fascinating. Can't wait for the next workshop!!!"
Ally Turnbull 2016
BEGINNERS
Introduction to backyard beekeeping
This one-day beekeeping course in Newcastle will get you started on your journey to becoming a beekeeper. Perfect if you already have a flow hive, or if you are still looking for which hive is best for you. Includes all the tools you will need for the day.
Learn the basic skills needed to care for your colony.
Learn about bees and bee behaviour.
Find out what type of hive suits you.
Look inside a working beehive.
Experience honey extraction and taste honey from different hives.
BEE SCHOOL
Have you been keeping bees for a little while and now have some questions about more advanced hive management?
This half day course covers various skills including swarm management, what to do if your hive is queen-less, and re-queening. The course has both theoretical and practical components. Participants are encouraged to email questions prior to the course to ensure we cover your needs.
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The course fee includes morning tea and all the equipment you will need for the day.
HIVE TOURS
Look inside a working beehive
Bring your kids, your spouse, your best friend or a date. Bee suits will be provided, all you need to bring is your sense of fun and adventure! Ever wanted to look inside a beehive and see a honeybee colony in action, suit up to look under the hood of a hive with Apiarist Kelly for a unique insider experience. The two-hour tour includes, honey tasting a talk all about the amazing honeybee, and gearing up to get hands-on with working hives in one of our Teaching Apiaries in Newcastle. Ages 10 and up or book one of our shorter family tours ages 5 and up.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Learn more about the amazing work of bees!
Here at Urban Hum, we are passionate about educating as many people as we can about the joys and wonders of honeybees and how much we need them. We offer a range of programs including talks and demonstrations for clubs and organisations; hands-on school holiday workshops for kids;Â school and preschool based education programs; and educational hive tours. Contact us about booking a talk or program for your school or club.
MEET THE TEAM
KELLY LEES
Co-founder and Insect Whisperer
Kelly began keeping bees seven years ago. An interest in better pollination in the garden led to an obsession with bees that has become Urban Hum. A self-confessed science nerd, former chef, and high school art teacher, Kelly is passionate about education and passing on her knowledge of bees to everyone and anyone who wants to listen. Kelly is also passionate about local food, growing produce in urban environments and helping connect people to their food sources.
ANNA SCOBIE
Co-founder and Ernest Environmentalist
Anna is passionate about bees, good design and gardening. She is the driving force behind the genesis and growth of Urban Hum. Anna spends most of her time behind the scenes of Urban Hum creating a socially conscious business, but still occasionally gets roped into collecting a swarm! A dedicated visual artist and self-taught graphic designer, Anna is the creator of the Urban Hum identity. Her focus is on local Australian made production and sustainable packaging solutions for Urban Hum products which drives a tireless search for ways to keep our environmental footprint as light as possible.
URBAN HUM BEES
All 7,650,000 of them
Our 110 hives are dotted around 26 suburbs of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie in private residences and commercial buildings such as cafes and restaurants. Each hive has between 50 and 80 thousand bees, which means about 7.5 million bees zooming around town. All our bees are European Honeybees (Apis mellifera) and although they are equipped to sting they will only do so if their hive is in danger. Bees are very focused on their jobs and not at all concerned with what we may be doing - let them get on with their work and they will do the same for you. If you have flowers or fruit and vegetables in your garden, you are likely to see bees. They are excellent pollinators and will contribute to the productivity of your plants.
SAY HELLO
Join the conversation about bring bees into the city. Find out more about Urban Hum, or just say hello.
"We are dedicated to environmental and socially responsible products. We love what we do, and we hope you do, too."