# Comparative Analysis of Urban and Rural Ecosystems in the Context of Suitability for Honeybees
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Demonstration apiaries are organised to welcome children and young people to classes and workshops, allowing them to get to know the bees, learn about their lives, and taste the products. In Poland, urban apiaries are subject to the same regulations as other apiaries. These apiaries are typically either private enterprises or funded by local governments or companies as part of a broader marketing strategy. The issue of whether the development of civilisation, urbanisation, and industrialisation are having a detrimental effect on pollinating insects is a matter of considerable debate. Research to date has focused predominantly on solitary bees. A comparison has been made of bee species richness according to the degree of urbanisation. In urban environments, there is a high abundance of bee species, but social species are more numerous, including polylectic species [22]. The honeybee is an eminently polyplectic species, raising concerns that it may dominate these areas, displacing other insects (_Apoidea_) [23; 24]. The adaptability of social insects has been identified as a key factor in their increasing dominance in urban environments. It is notable that the honeybee is well-suited to urban environments, exhibiting adaptability through its ability to fly over long distances and forage for food with greater efficiency compared to other wild bees [25]. Several studies have reported that the honeybee poses a threat to wild bees [26; 27; 28; 29; 30]. Conversely, other studies showed either no impact or inconclusive results [31]. The most famous urban apiary is the one founded in 1980 in Paris, located on the roof of the Opera Garnier. This apiary gave rise to the urban beekeeping industry, and today, there are more than 3000 bee colonies. Paris bee colonies produce an average of 50 kg of honey per year, with peaks of up to 80 kg in seasons where forage is particularly abundant. In contrast, in the rural environment colonies typically yield 30 kg [32]. In the United States, urban beekeeping was not permitted until the 1950s, when regulations began to liberalise. Bans on urban beekeeping are usually motivated by concerns for public safety [33]. A notable increase in the number of urban beekeepers was observed in the US around 2008, likely driven by media attention attracted by reports of 'colony collapse disorder (CCD)' that started in 2006 [34]. As a result, New York City and Los Angeles officially removed restrictions on urban beekeeping in 2010, establishing a significant precedent for cities and municipalities nationwide. This progressive shift was subsequently adopted by Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC, in 2012. The movement toward more supportive regulations continued with Boston in 2013 and Los Angeles again in 2015. See densities in large cities are higher than in agricultural landscapes. For instance, the average colony density in Paris per km\({}^{2}\) is 6.5; colonies that exceed that of the rest of the country are \(-\)2.5; in London, it is \(-\)10; and in Brussels, it is \(-\)15 [35]. Urban beekeeping has also become an increasingly prevalent practice in other European countries, including Germany and Poland. Most of these colonies are managed, whereas feral colonies are comparatively rare. The average wild colony density in Europe is 0.26/km\({}^{2}\), which is 25 times lower than in Latin America and Africa [36]. The aim of this study is to compare the rate of development and performance of bees kept in urban and agricultural environments across various regions in Poland.