Your Questions, Answered

Getting Started

  • We currently serve select neighborhoods across Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada Flintridge, Hancock Park, Los Feliz, and surrounding areas. If you're unsure whether your property falls within our service area, get in touch and we'll let you know.

  • Our hives thrive on properties of 7,500 square feet or more, with space to place them discreetly away from pools, terraces, and neighboring homes.

    If this feels aligned, we begin with a brief phone consultation, followed by a private site visit to assess light, forage, and the overall harmony of your land.

    If it isn’t the right fit, we’ll let you know with complete transparency at every stage.

  • Absolutely. During our first site visit we'll walk your property together and discuss placement options. We'll guide you based on sun, shelter, and local regulations, but the final decision is always yours.

  • Installation typically takes place within two to three weeks of your sign-up, following the initial site visit.

    Spring and early summer are ideal, allowing for a swift installation. Outside of peak season, we’ll schedule your hive for the next optimal window and keep you informed every step of the way.

  • We provide everything. The hive, the colony, all equipment, and ongoing care are fully included in your subscription. There’s nothing you need to purchase or manage yourself.

  • In most residential areas across Los Angeles, yes. Regulations can vary by city and neighborhood, so we confirm full compliance during our consultation before any installation.

    If any restrictions apply to your property, we’ll let you know before you commit.

Subscriptions & Pricing

  • Yes. Your initial property consultation is completely free and comes with no obligation. We'll visit your property, walk the garden with you, assess suitability, and answer any questions you have. If it's the right fit, we'll talk you through your options. If it isn't, we'll tell you honestly, no pressure either way.

  • Both. We offer monthly subscriptions for flexibility and annual subscriptions at a discounted rate. Annual subscribers also receive priority scheduling and additional honey from their seasonal harvest. Details on pricing and what's included at each tier can be found on our subscriptions page.

  • We understand circumstances change. Monthly subscribers can cancel at any time with 30 days notice. Annual subscribers can cancel at the end of their current term. When you cancel, we schedule a removal visit to safely relocate the colony and all equipment from your property. We ask for reasonable notice so we can rehome the bees responsibly, they'll continue to thrive, just in a new location.

  • We do. A Pollen gift subscription is a unique and memorable gift, we handle everything from installation to management, and the recipient enjoys the full experience including their own honey harvest. Get in touch and we'll help you set it up.

Your hive(s)

  • Once you sign up, we deliver and install the hive, introduce a healthy colony, and walk you through a short orientation so you understand what's happening in your garden. Your first inspection visit is typically scheduled within two to four weeks of installation.

  • None. That's the point. We manage every aspect of your hive - inspections, maintenance, pest management, seasonal adjustments, and honey harvesting. You don't need to open the hive, wear a suit, or learn beekeeping. Your only role is to enjoy the bees and the honey. Of course, if you want to learn more or be present during inspections, we're always happy to walk you through what we're doing.

  • No. As long as we have access to your garden, we can carry out inspections and maintenance visits whether you're home or not. Many of our customers prefer it that way. After each visit, we send you a short update with notes on how your colony is doing, what we observed, and any actions we took.

  • Of course. You're welcome to be present for any visit. Our beekeepers are happy to walk you through what they're seeing - it's one of the most rewarding parts of hosting a hive. We can also provide a spare veil if you'd like to get a closer look.

  • Honeybees don't hibernate — they cluster together inside the hive to stay warm and live off their honey stores through the cooler months. Southern California's mild winters mean our colonies stay active nearly year-round. We adjust our management through the season to make sure they're healthy and well-fed heading into spring.

  • Swarming is a natural part of a healthy colony's lifecycle - it means the hive is thriving. Our beekeepers manage hives proactively to minimize swarming, but if it does happen, we'll handle it. Just give us a call and we'll take care of it quickly.

  • A healthy hive can hold anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 bees depending on the season. At peak summer the colony is at its largest, with thousands of foragers heading out each day to pollinate flowers within a three-mile radius of your home.

Safety & Support

  • Yes. Honeybees are remarkably docile and focused on foraging — they have no interest in people, children, or pets unless directly provoked or threatened. We place hives in low-traffic areas of your property, typically facing away from patios, play areas, and walkways. We also orient the hive entrance so the flight path keeps bees well above head height. Many of our customers have young children, dogs, and cats at home with no issues at all.

  • Honeybees are non-aggressive and focused on foraging — stings from a managed hive are extremely rare. That said, if you or anyone in your household has a known bee sting allergy, we recommend consulting your doctor before subscribing. We're happy to discuss placement strategies that further minimize any contact.

  • In our experience this is very rare. Well-managed hives with proper placement, fencing, and flight path orientation cause virtually no disruption to neighbors. Many of our customers find that once neighbors learn about the hive they're more curious than concerned — especially when you share a jar of honey with them :)

  • Absolutely. Every subscriber has direct access to their assigned beekeeper via phone, text, or email. Whether you have a question about your hive, notice something unusual, or just want to know how your bees are doing between visits, we're always available. We don't use call centers or ticket systems — you speak to the person who manages your hive.

Honey & Your Garden

  • A healthy hive in Southern California typically produces between 20 and 60 pounds of honey per year, depending on the season, local forage, and weather conditions. Your honey is harvested, jarred, and labeled with your property's details — it's your bees and your honey. First-year colonies are usually establishing themselves, so expect a modest harvest in year one with significantly more in subsequent seasons.

  • Yes — it's your hive and your honey. We harvest it, extract it, and return it to you in beautifully labeled jars. The honey is included in your subscription at no extra cost.

  • When your hive is ready for harvest — typically in late spring and late summer in Southern California — we carefully remove the honey-filled frames, leaving enough for the bees to sustain themselves. The frames are taken off-site, where the honey is extracted, filtered, and jarred by hand. Your honey is then returned to you in beautifully labeled jars. If you'd like to be present for the harvest, we welcome it — it's one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.

  • In the first year, your colony is building up — drawing comb, growing its population, and establishing foraging routes in your neighborhood. You can expect a small honey harvest in year one and a much more substantial yield from year two onward. Beyond honey, you'll notice increased pollination in your garden almost immediately, with flowers blooming more vigorously and fruit trees producing more consistently. Over time, your garden will become a thriving hub for pollinators of all kinds — not just honeybees but native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

  • You'll see the difference within weeks. Flowers will bloom more fully, fruit and vegetable yields will increase, and you'll notice a broader diversity of pollinators visiting your garden. Bees are efficient and enthusiastic pollinators — a single hive can visit millions of flowers per season. Over time, the cumulative effect on your garden's health and vibrancy is significant. Many of our customers tell us it's one of the first things they notice after installation.