Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

To bee or not in Denver

Hive proposal is fine - but only with stricter guidelines

Rocky Mountain News

Published November 17, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size  

More Editorials

More stories »

The question could ignite a stinging controversy: Should Denver residents be allowed to keep beehives in the backyard?

Marygael Meister, who had bees in three illicit hives buzzing behind her home, was cited by the city in June after a neighbor complained. Faced with a possible $999 fine and even jail time, her cause was picked up by Councilwoman Peggy Lehmann in the form of a proposed zoning amendment - which is scheduled to receive a public hearing at tonight's City Council meeting - to allow home-based hives.

Under the proposal, hives would have to be located in the rear third of a resident's lot and a minimum of five feet from the rear and side fence lines. A maximum of two hives, for domestic honeybees only, would have to be within a 6-foot-high "flyway barrier" like a masonry wall or tall hedge. The idea is to force the bees to gain enough altitude to leave the backyard - thus being less likely to smack into a neighbor's face.

A companion ordinance would amend the code on animals to remove honeybees from the definition of wild or dangerous creatures.

After the zoning change, the Department of Environmental Health would be authorized to write additional rules. We hope that it does, because as matters now stand the plan does not provide enough protection for those who don't own bees - at least based on our review of the lengthy rules for owning bees in Fort Collins and Aurora, dating to 1989 in Fort Collins and 2003 in Aurora.

Fort Collins, for example, requires backyard beekeepers to provide a consistent source of water so bees don't find a drink in the neighbor's swimming pool or dog bowls. Code Compliance Supervisor Polly Lauridsen told us that she believes all of the complaints they've received have stemmed from bees going elsewhere for a sip. When Aurora crafted its ordinance, it also took into account the more recent threat of West Nile virus and wisely mandated that bee owners couldn't allow their water source to become stagnant.

Both cities also note beekeepers' responsibility to try to prevent swarms by selecting new queens "from stock bred for gentleness and nonswarming characteristics." There's nothing worse, apparently, than a grumpy bee colony.

Denver's plan is actually more stringent than other cities' in terms of allowable hives: no more than two, no matter the lot size. Both Aurora and Fort Collins begin at two hives but allow more on larger lots. Taking into account lot size makes perfect sense: Lauridsen said she's seen most hives on rural acreage, and receives about one complaint a year.

Aurora, on the other hand, reports only one complaint in its ordinance's five-year history.

Lakewood, which was cited on Denver's beekeeping fact sheet as a local community that allows hives, actually allows beekeeping only on rural and residential one-acre properties, its city attorney told us.

The Denver ordinance claims that the "primary impetus" for the amendment is the hope that residents can be part of the solution to "Colony Collapse Disorder," which has some beekeepers reporting 30 percent to 90 percent of their hives mysteriously lost, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But if Denver is going to allow colonies, it needs to do so with more specific guidelines to ensure responsible urban beekeeping.

Comments

  • November 17, 2008

    12:29 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    roger44 writes:

    And the lawyers are already gathering for the bee sting lawsuits...

  • November 17, 2008

    7:19 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    vudumom writes:

    The insurance companies will now ask, "Do you have any bee hives on your property? " , when issueing property insurance. Another question that goes with, " Do you own a pitbull?"

  • November 17, 2008

    9:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Andy writes:

    Is Colony Callapse Disorder caused by a dearth of bee hives? I thought the best guess was that it was a virus.

  • November 17, 2008

    9:58 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Romanesco writes:

    "A companion ordinance would amend the code on animals to remove honeybees from the definition of wild or dangerous creatures."

    Tell that to a neighbor who happens to have a child who's deathly allergic to bee stings.

  • November 17, 2008

    12:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    xeeian writes:

    In the US with 73.7 million children.
    + 90 people a year die of reactions to bee stings.
    + 100 kids a year die of being backed up over by an SUV.

  • November 17, 2008

    12:32 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    sunshinestate writes:

    In addition to bee hives,back yards of the future might include gardening,live stock,poultry.

  • November 17, 2008

    1:05 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    peterpi writes:

    Andy @ 9:54, no one knows the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder. It's probably multiple sources, but a lot of researchers believe that overly broad pesticide use and pollution are the primary culprits.
    Let's see, someone breaks the law, so ...
    They get their favorite city councilperson to change the law! Ingenious!
    If my partner gets caught for speeding on Colfax, can we request that the Denver City Council change the speed limit on Colfax to 50 MPH and, please, make it retroactive? I don't think so.
    The current statute allows the proper city authorities to issue waivers, provided certain conditions are met. I think that works just fine.
    Bees have a limited flying range, slow flight speeds, with no in-flight re-fueling capability. How is a beehive in Congress Park going to help pollinate crops in Elbert County?

  • November 18, 2008

    7:21 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Mike_In_Hartsel writes:

    I didn't see anything in the article that said the bee hives were a threat to humans? What's the big deal?

    Most human deaths from stings come from wasps.

  • November 18, 2008

    12:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Cebu writes:

    Even if you outlaw honey bees, there are still bumblebees, leafbutter bees and many more native bees in the city. The only way to get rid of bees would be to pave over every surface and cut down all the trees.

    More a much better commentary on beekeeping in Denver, read this article in the Denver Post.
    http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_1...