Bees in Montreal: small creatures that do big things
May 20, 2026
You can hear them buzzing in the parks, you can see them fluttering around Plaza St-Hubert, and yet we rarely think about them. Bees in Montreal are much more than just countryside insects lost in the city. It’s a story of resilience, community, and a love for all things local.
Values that resonate strongly with us at Arloca.
Montreal: A surprisingly bee-friendly city
One might think that concrete and asphalt leave little room for nature. And yet, researchers at the Université de Montréal analyzed over 1,000 hives installed on the island between 2017 and 2021, and their conclusion is surprising:
Nearly 70% of the island of Montreal is suitable for beekeeping.
What helps bees in the city? The diversity of flowers in gardens and on balconies, the trees in parks, and the absence of intensive agricultural pesticides found in rural areas. Paradoxically, the city can be a refuge.
Urban beekeeping: A deeply rooted movement here
Montreal has become a benchmark in urban beekeeping, thanks in particular to remarkable local initiatives:
Alvéole, founded in Montreal in 2012, started by installing hives on the roofs of a few Montreal buildings. Today, the company is present in dozens of cities across North America. A 100% local success story, just the way we like them.
Miel Montréal, a solidarity cooperative, offers urban beekeeping training and manages hives for businesses and organizations that wish to commit to biodiversity.
And the City itself is taking action: in the spring of 2024, Montreal distributed native plant seeds on a large scale to help pollinators survive and thrive.
An important nuance: honey bees ≠ wild bees
We often make the mistake of thinking that increasing the number of hives in the city saves the bees. It’s more nuanced than that.
In fact, there are hundreds of species of wild bees in Quebec.
Solitary, without hives, without honey, they play an absolutely essential role as pollinators. They are the ones in real danger, and installing more honey bee hives can sometimes create competition for these fragile species.
What we can do, concretely
You don't need a hive on your roof to help. Here are a few simple steps:
- Plant nectar-rich flowers on your balcony: lavender, echinacea, bee balm, borage.
- Avoid pesticides in your garden or planters.
- Leave a natural corner—a wood pile, an unmown area—for solitary bees.
- Buy local honey produced in the Montreal region.
A parallel that touches us
At Arloca, we work every day with Quebec artisans who create by hand, with care, respecting their craft and their environment. Bees, too, create something unique, locally, through cooperation.
Supporting local—whether it's a potter from Rosemont, a jeweler from Longueuil, or a colony of bees on a Plateau rooftop—means choosing a world that is a little more alive, a little more human.
Did you enjoy this article? Discover our products made in Quebec and come visit us at 6572 St-Hubert Street, Montreal.
