Subject: FOLLOWUP: HELP! Beehives/New Neigbor

From: [email-masked] (Dennis Yonke)
Date: 5 Apr 1996 15:31:31 GMT

I would like to thank everyone who's taken the time to write to me about 
this issue.  I din't anticipate the volume of response I've gotten - over 
30 replies so far, some from as far away as Australia.

Most had very good suggestions -- tact and diplomacy, and the liberal 
sharing of honey, which I intend to follow up; the use of plant barriers, 
which I am already doing.  There is a thick mixed border, including 
several profuse colonies of bamboo, and a row of young evergreens between 
the bees and the new neighbors;  I am providing a water source in the 
apiary so that the bees don't need to use a neighbor's pool;  and finally,
 many of you suggested I consult an attorney or other legal sources about 
this issue.

On the last thought, I had the following idea....  However, I am not sure 
if I would be opening a massive Pandora's box if I attempted this.  
Therefore, I would really like your input on this matter.

My community, as it stands, has no ordinances one way or the other about 
bees and beekeeping.  Before someone complains and gets an anti-bee 
ordinance passed, I am considering trying to put together a proposal for 
a pro-bee ordinance which would regulate but legalise the keeping of 
domestic bees.  I am considering something like the following:

1)  Make the keeping of bees specifically legal.

2)  Regulate the placement of beehives.  I would think 50 feet from a 
property line would be ideal.  You can't make it too close, or it would 
be meaningless, but you don't want to make the distance so far away that 
people with small city-type lots would be prohibited from keeping bees.   
After all, I guess people do quite successfully keep bees even in large 
cities like New York and London.

3)  Require the posting of warning signs x feet away from the hives.  
Something like:  Warning.  Domestic Bees.  Keep Back x Feet.

4)  Make tresspass without permission into a beeyard a crime with a 
specific fine or punishment, so that the beekeeper can have it enforced 
if neighborhood  brats constantly parade throught their yards.  Perhaps 
there should be a protected zone of x feet around a beehive.

5)  Require beekeepers to install a water source so as to minimize the 
need to go to swimming pools for water.

6)  Make homeowners liable for any damage caused to the bees from 
pesticide applications, and make them liable for any economic losses 
caused to the beekeeper by contaminated honey.  Maybe this would make 
some of them think twice before randomly spraying every lower life form 
which moves.

7)  Make the deliberate harrassment or damage of beehives a crime, and 
put enough teeth into it that it is enforced.  My sister previously lived 
across the street, and her bees were vandalized several times.  I never 
had that problem yet, because my bees are less visible from the street.

8)  Regulate the number of beehives?  This might help to pacify those who 
object.

I am open to any and all suggestions on this matter, and I would really 
like input from the beekeeping community.  Also, if anyone is aware of 
state or local laws of this nature, I would really appreciate a xerox of 
the law and any case law or legal precidents which arose out of this law. 
 If you something like this, please e-mail me with you address, and I'll 
send you a s.a.s.e. or something.

By the way, as I said this could be dangerously thin ice, and I'm not 
going to do anything without further research and careful deliberation, 
so if you think this is a terrible idea, stop me before I do any harm!  I 
have always basically been a very private person, and have practiced a 
live and let live philosophy, but I feel very strongly that my rights 
should not be less equal than those of anyone else, so I am prepared to 
find my voice on this issue and try to do something.  Any input would be 
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dennis