At 08:10 PM 1/31/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>I need some help rather urgently.   The City of Aurora Colorado will
>be having a Code Enforcement and Redevelopement Committee meeting on
>Wed. February 5, 2003 to consider  making an ordinance regarding
>beekeeping in residential areas.

I'm no expert, but I've sited my sources and expert's names where possible:

Be aware that most states, Including Colorado, have 'right-to-farm' laws,
and that the City might not be able to legally control beekeeping in all
areas of the city.  (Specifically areas involuntarily annexed into the city
after July1, 1981 if I'm reading CO's code right, but I am not a lawyer.)

There are many reasonable laws on the books.  Some cities simply allow it
unless it becomes a nuisance (leaving it up to the beekeeper to  take
measures to prevent it.)  This I think isn't a good idea because 'nuisance'
is highly objective.  (I've heard of many cases of empty hives, or hives
present for many years suddenly becoming a nuisance once a neighbor finally
noticed them, sometimes after 5 years).

Better guidelines are like those found at http://www.honeybee.com.au/cop/
which limit the number of hives by lot size, spacing of hives (from
property lines), fences, etc.


>--1% of the population has a potentially fatal allergy to stinging
>insect venom.

According to the University of California this number is 0.1% to 0.2%  (See
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/wildlife/bees.htm) and this number.  (The
commonly quoted, and inaccurate, 1% is from the boyscout handbook if memory
serves)

Based on the number of fatal insect stings, 60% are due to wasps, yellow
jacks and other non-honeybees. (See
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/beelab/factsheets/sheets/2076.html and
http://www.stingshield.com/news.htm)

Most of the 'insect venom' deaths could likely be avoided.  In one study 5
of 7 victims had prior experience of their allergy but failed to carry an
epipen (See:
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/173_04_210800/mcgain/mcgain.html)  (If
you had asthma you wouldn't be without an inhaler would you?)

>-- Africanized "killer bees" have increased in number in the United
>States.

If the so called 'killer bees' are going to move into Aurora, they will do
so regardless if there are domestic bees in the area.

All deaths from 'killer' bees have been from feral hives, not those kept by
beekeepers. See http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/pubs/brochures/bees.html

According to Joseph S. Latshaw (www.ohioqueenbreeders.com ), aggression is
an additive trait, not a recessive/dominate type.  This means that
successive breeding of domestic with 'killer' bees will make them more docile.

Any beekeeper who finds an abnormally agressive hive will requeen it,
thereby removing the potentially 'killer bee' tendency from the hive.

The 'killer' bees are hardly killers.  Only about 12 deaths can be
attributed to 'killer' bees since they have entered the US.  Deaths from
the common European honey bee numbers 40 per year. (This includes feral
bees)  See http://www.stingshield.com/news.htm.

Most reports of 'killer' bees in the news are false and unconfirmed in my
experiance.  Often they are normal honeybees and are simply destroyed
before any determination is made, or they are not bees at all.  I remember
an news article from florida about a year ago about a swarm of 7 killer
bees in a trash can that attacked a young girl.  From the description this
was definitely not a 'killer' bee attack, likely it was a yellowjackets.

Personal experience:  My wile's young siblings (9 and 13) have been stung
more times at their house 2 miles from the nearest domestic hive than my
children (3 and 8) who live just feet from 34 hives.   In fact I have two
hives in my front yard which the children play around.  My 3 year old likes
to sit in front of the hive and watch the bees, sometimes picking a flower
for them and placing it on their entrance.

Not to mention all the benefits of honeybees.  Pollination (50% of our food
can be attributed to the honey bee. http://www.stingshield.com/lebas.htm),
Honey, Pollen, Sting therapy, etc.

You would likely do more to prevent insect stings by removing the things
that attract them.  Open trash and drink containers.  Flowering plants, etc.

-Tim