In a prior posting, I said:

> If there is an actual law on the books that says "no beekeeping", he
> would have cited the specific ordinance.  Why didn't he?  Likely
> because there IS no such specific law.

> You would be amazed how creative people can be sometimes, reading a
> law against keeping "barnyard animals", and claiming that this means
> bees, largish dogs, hamsters, whatever animal they don't like.

In a subsequent off-list e-mail, a person who I assume wishes to remain
nameless reminded me that some subdivisions have deed restrictions
that prohibit "livestock".  (I assume that towns and villages would have
similar regulations.)

This is a classic example!  No one should tolerate this sort of wordplay
and fuzzy thinking for even a moment.

Look up "livestock" in any dictionary, and you will see that it describes
DOMESTICATED animals.  Bees are clearly not "domesticated" in any
way, and therefore do not meet the basic definition of "livestock".  While
beekeepers certainly provide them with hives, and attempt to "manage"
them as best they can, no one can claim to have "domesticated" bees.

The only difference between "feral" bees and "managed" bees is
nothing more than their location.  If I find and capture a swarm from
the woods, and place the swarm in a hive, I have not changed the
bees at all.  I certainly have not somehow "domesticated" them.