I kept bees in San Diego from 1974 to 1990. Within San Diego City Limits you have everything from urban cities, suburban and rural neighborhoods, large agricultural holdings and open space. The code there is reasonable and includes the following provisions: * You can't put an apiary closer than 600 feet from somebody else's home, prohibiting commercial beekeeping in most neighborhoods. * You can put one hive as close as 100 feet, allowing hobby beekeeping in most neighborhoods. * They require a 30 foot fire break and a water supply for the bees, since bees often end up gathering water on people's lawns. * They prohibit transporting bees during daylight hours unless they are screened in. (Note: a 100 foot buffer requires about 1 acre. A 600 foot buffer requires about 30 acres) source: San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 4: Health and Sanitation (6-2000) If you can persuade the neighbors that bees are safe, you can get around the rules. But then -- they may change their minds and complain and force you to move at any time. (This happened to me many many times.) Another way around it is to put them behind enough trees so no one knows they're there. Last summer I ran 200 hives in 13 apiaries. The only one I had trouble with was 16 hives in the woods across the street from an elderly couple. We thought the trees would keep the bees away from them. Unfortunately, the couple spent a lot of time in the front of the house gardening and the bees would fly over and sting them. We worked those hives about once a month, so WE weren't riling them up. I think they were mad all the time because of skunks. Skunks can really put a hive in a bad mood all summer. Of course, if your bees are actually causing a nuisance, you are obligated to move them regardless of the codes. pb