On Roofs and in Gardens, the Beehives of New York It's been a busy spring for the hardworking honeybee and the keepers tending to hives in New York City and the region. With warmer winter temperatures and an unusually early spring, bees have been in reproductive overdrive to take in the spring nectar flow, occasionally creating swarms in very public and inconvenient places around town. Since the decade-long ban on keeping Apis mellifera - the common, nonaggressive honeybee - was lifted in March 2010, nearly 200 hives have been registered with the city's health department. Unofficially, there may be 200 or so more, according to some estimates. Since the veil has been lifted on this once clandestine activity, we asked readers to send us photos of their setups. Above is a selection of them. Go here to see a more complete slide show of urban apiary snapshots. Many thanks to all who participated!