Urban rooftop hive bees knees for locals after 82 jars of honey sold within a month on Gold Coast

WHEN Mark Massingham first popped a hive on top of his Gold Coast convenience store’s rooftop, he didn’t expect to set the area buzzing. But he’s sold 82 jars in just three weeks.

WHEN Mark Massingham first popped a hive on top of his convenience store’s rooftop, he didn’t expect to set the area buzzing.

But less than a month after his hive of 50,000 European bees produced more than 15kg of honey, the Alicia Street Convenience Store owner has sold out of the raw, natural product.

It is quite literally, the bees knees for the many locals who have bought the jars of honey.

“We sold 82 jars in about a three week window,” he said.

“There is a strong demand for local, fresh honey.”

Mark Massingham has 50,000 bees. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Massingham said he had originally seen something about urban bees in New York and thought his Southport store roof would make a good spot for a hive because it was out of the way from people passing by.

“I thought we have a great environment for bees with the park across the road,” he said.

Angus Turner says the bees have made a lot of honey in a short period of time. Picture: Jerad Williams

“Also as we’ve found with customer response there are so many people interested in buying local produce that could have well been collected from their backyard.”

Once a month Mr Massingham’s friend and beekeeper Angus Turner hops onto the roof in his special suit and with his smoke can.

Angus Turner attending to the Mark's beehive. Picture: Jerad Williams

The hive consisted of three drawers, the brood box at the bottom with the Queen bee, and two ‘supers’ which hold all the workers and the frames they create honey in.

Mr Turner said while it was only the second time they’d collected the frames from the hive, they were “choc-a-bloc” with honeycomb.

Angus Turner has been looking after bees for two years. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mark Massingham with the honey his bees have produced. Picture: Jerad Williams

“There’s at least 20kg of honey,” he said of the latest batch, adding the bees could produce well over 100kg of honey each year.

“This hive was quite unique because they grew their own Queen in the hive.”

Worker bees create a ‘royal jelly’ in the brood box which produces a Queen bee.

Mr Massingham said he installed the hive at the start of December last year and the hive had just started producing enough honey in September.

The 250g jars of honey from ‘Mark’s Bees’ cost $4.50.