SOUTH PORTLAND (April 10, 2008): The South Portland City Council voted Monday night to send the city's first beekeeping ordinance back to workshop for further review after it created an angry buzz across Maine. The Council's flight from establishing a local beekeeping ordinance happened after members received several letters and e-mails from hobbyists who say that Maine already has a state Beekeepers Association that educates the public, registers keepers and offers a comprehensive list of best practices for people to follow. The letter writers complained that local regulations, fees and a permitting process will discourage back yard honey bee operations and make them too costly. The beekeeping ordinance sets up an annual $25 registration fee. It limits the number of colonies that a homeowner can have based on property size. For example, a beekeeper can keep up to two colonies on a quarter acre of land or less. The ordinance details the types of hives and requires that colonies have a queen. Under the ordinance, beekeepers must provide the insects with a constant source of water, since they will fly to swimming pools and even outdoor pet dishes, if fresh water is not provided by the beekeeper. South Portland has a long and storied history of beekeepers. One of its most famous residents, Fred Hale, was an avid beekeeper. Known as America's oldest living man, Hale credited his longevity to eating honey and bee pollen [along with the occasional nip of whiskey]. Hale's honey came from bees he kept as a hobbyist. Hale died in 2004 at the age of 113. Web sites on Hale contain sweet memories of his beekeeping and honey making in South Portland. "I knew Fred when we both lived in South Portland, Maine, in the late seventies," wrote former resident Richard Johnson in 2007. "He sparked my interest in beekeeping. I visited him quite a few times and he talked about beekeeping mostly." http://www.keepmecurrent.com/Community/story.cfm?storyID=51743 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_H._Hale,_Sr. **************************************************** * General Information About BEE-L is available at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm * ****************************************************