Rooftop hives in downtown Tampa provide refuge for honey bees.

Tampa Bay beekeepers anticipate a rise in the honey bee population as swarm season nears, despite ongoing drought conditions and recovery from the 2024 hurricanes. Bee Downtown is utilizing rooftops and urban spaces in downtown Tampa to maintain hives in an area typically dominated by concrete. The company operates 10 similar setups in the city, focusing on urban beekeeping across the Southeast U.S.