Christmas is “right around the corner” and I have wrestled for months with the prospects of asking Santa for beehives this 2011 Christmas. I have read articles about bee foraging, land usage, land restriction, bee health, hive variety and city regulations. Bees as livestock has even been questioned and considered. However, as I reevaluated my motive for beekeeping, I realized that bees need me. They need more spaces to live and work and “do their thing”. Bees need a safe place to feed their brood, foster good health, as well as, create honey, wax, bee pollen and other bee products. I want to support the bee population. These little creatures are amazing and we need to foster their contribution to the food chain by helping them survive. A third or more of our food is pollinated by them. This is serious business in which we all should be aware. Contribute to this effort of bee sustenance by considering bee product usage. Honey is a natural sweetener; allergy reducer; energy enhancer; protein provider; wound healer, wrinkle reducer and cholesterol controller. So I have firmly decided to write Santa a letter, dropping him the hint about wanting my very own bee hive under the Christmas tree December 25, 2011.
Bee Honey Healthy Now 
I certainly hope that your Christmas wish comes true. I am a hobbyist beekeeper, making the decision to keep bees for the same reasons you list, along with my son who has horrible allergies. We are struggling right now to educate our local city officials on the benefits of urban beekeeping, but the benefits greatly outweigh the time and energy this has taken (and will continue to take).
Best of luck to you in your soon-to-bee hobby!
This is very interesting. Honey is a natural sweetener, but high in fructose, isn’t it? With all we hear about problems with high fructose corn syrup, how should we view fructose in honey? Also thinking about your blog. Is it true that the bee population in North America is facing some risks and challenges? What is going on in that area?