Looking for a sweet summer project? Alvéole’s urban beekeeping program just might be the hobby for you.

Whether you’re a honey lover who finds grocery store selections wanting or an environmentalist who wants to give the honeybee a much-needed leg up,  beekeeping is a hobby with buzz.

How does it work?  The Alvéole team (currently available in Montreal and Toronto) installs a beehive on your rooftop, balcony or backyard.  There are three levels of home visit packages (New-bee, Worker-bee, and Pro) that teach you how to care for your fuzzy friends, thus ensuring the health of the colony.  When the time comes, they’ll extract your home-brewed batch of golden goodness at their on-location honey house.  And yes, you’re invited to the delivery room.

“The bottom line is, if something is not done to improve honeybee health, then most of the interesting food we eat is going to be unavailable,” warns Carlen Jupe, secretary, and treasurer for the California State Beekeepers Association.

With close to one-third of the world’s crops dependent on honeybees for pollination, we think this hobby-with-a-purpose is the bees knees.

To find out more about Alvéole, click here.