Whitney S. Cranshaw wrote: > > The term hobby beekeeper is used all the time, but what does it mean? > > The reason for my question is that a local beekeeper is being asked to move > his hives because because this is considered to be an agricultural > enterprise prohibited within city limits. His defense is that he is only a > hobby beekeeper and therefore exempt. But this needs to be better defined. > > Is there limit to the number of hives that determines a hobby beekeeper? > Does selling for profit define if a beekeeper is a hobbyist or not? The following appeared on BEE-l a few years back. I found it good enough to keep since I keep bees in an area with a ban on "farm animals". Hope this helps. Kevin From: "Jeffrey P. Murray" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 09:50:33 -0500 Subject: Re: Neighbors say Beekeeping a "No no" To: Multiple recipients of list BEE-L <[log in to unmask]> I found out a few years back that at least one Atlanta-area city ordinance (that of Decatur, GA) was ruled on in such as way as to specifically PROMOTE beekeeping within the city/county. Apparently some nuisance cases were brought up by neighbors of a beekeeper within Decatur city limits. These cases were not based on specific incidents, but were brought to court because neighbors found out about the bees and just didn't like the idea of them in their vicinity (NIMBY strikes again). The cases were intended to eliminate beekeeping within the city based on bees being "domesticated" animals; such animals are not allowed within city limits. The Georgia Extension Service argued on behalf of the beekeeper that in fact bees are wild animals, and that they are exempt from such ordinances; beekeepers in this context provide a home for the bees, but that does not constitute ownership anymore than putting up a bird house does not constitute ownership of birds that use it. This argument was accepted, based in large part on a desire to encourage beekeeping in areas that are experiencing a decline in feral Apis populations. My conclusion is that you shouldn't be shy about checking the ordinances; there is a changing mood in state governments, particularly those in agricultural states that are experiencing crop declines due to lack of adequate feral pollinators. In fact this does NOT mean that you should be irresponsible about keeping the bees, but the fact is that unless neighbors can prove that your bees specifically are causing a problem, you are likely to be home free.