Hello Todd & All,
I guess I will try to answer Todd. The problem Todd and his subdivison have
got is happening all over the U.S. around cities with urban sprawl. I would
guess the beekeepers have been using the gravel pits for many many years. I
prefer gravel pits and old rock quaries because you can always get in and
out in bad weather and the sweet clover goes tall from all the limestone.
There is a reason  the beekeepers are sitting down over 800 hives in one
spot. I don't know the reason so can only guess. Raising queens,requeening
or splitting.
If Utah has registered bee locations and the gravel pits are a registered
location then you may have trouble forcing the beekeepers to move.
Using Florida & rabbits as a example:
The grandfather ordinance in Florida is written that if you were say
raising rabbits and they change the zoning you can still raise rabbits but
after the zoning changes you can never keep any more rabbits than you kept
at any given time in the past. When the nuisance is a business that has been
operating for years judges lean towards the grandfathered in business. Point
is changing zoning laws might not help in your case. The city of DeLand,
Florida(city I grew up in) has tried to move H.Bell Honey for as long as I
can remember. Point is if you build a subdivision across the street from a
bee farm then in the eyes of the law in most states you should have known
better.
The reason I am not saying go talk to the beekeepers is because I believe
you allready have.
I will give up a *out yard* location if there is a problem with people. I
won't however relocate my main operation because of neighbors building
across the street from me. I got a neighbor which has built a mansion right
next to my drive entrance. So far he hasn't complained but he would have had
to have been blind not to see the huge *bee farm* sign when he bought the
bare land and built his house. I was here first. The day he looked at the
land I had 70+ hives sitting in my orchard 300 feet from the location he
built his house. . One day he will be sitting out on his deck and the stray
bee will sting him and he will decide its time *I* moved. Probbably will be
a yellow jacket sting but I will still get the blame. I give all my
neighbors a basket of honey and candles each Christmas and will always help
if there is a problem I can help with.
Back to the original question. I called two commercial beekeepers and both
said the same thing. They would relocate the outyard if the bees were
causing as big of a problem as you describe. Both agreed the beekeepers were
not in the pits collecting honey but doing hive work. Thus stirring up bees.
In my opinion you have two choices Todd. Try to talk the beekeepers into
bringing in less bees or relocating. If that doesn't work then contact a
lawyer to see if you can force the beekeepers to move. Setting out poison
will most likely end up costing you money if the USDA traces the source of
the poison back to your subdivision. I have got a gravel pit location in
Lone Jack, Missouri which I put 6 skids or 24 hives. The neighbors have
never complained. The location is within the city limits. If I sat 800+
hives in the gravel pit then I am sure problems like you decribe would
happen.
Before hobby beekeepers lash out at Todd and his subdivision please go out
to a commercial beekeepers and see how many bees are involved with 800 hives
in one location. I do sympathize with Todd and the sudivision.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri
ps. I would rather have not responded to Todd but felt obligated.