My yard is so small and I live in town, Can I keep bee’s?
Question: My yard is so small and I live in town, Can I keep bee’s?
There are two issues here: The size of one’s yard, and living in towns and urban areas.
Looking first at the space needed to keep bees. Honeybees fly on average 1.7 miles (even up to 8 miles) from their colony as they search for nectar and water. From their perspective the size of one’s property makes no difference. They will fly over property lines, streets, buildings and rivers as they forage (seek food and water). The size of a yard is of little importance. In fact, you will likely see very few bees in your yard. This has to do with how they communicate with other bee’s in the hive. The shortest amount of distance they can communicate is about 50 yards (150 feet) to other bee’s.
Are you allowed to keep bees where you live? The most direct and most common answer is “Yes.” Very few cities and towns prohibit the keeping of bees. Begin by talking with other beekeepers in your area, usually they are aware of any restrictions. If you live in a community with a Homeowners Association do check with the association. If you are bound by restrictions you must abide by them. However, most homeowners associations have no prohibitions for bees. If restrictions exist educating the community will often remove these restrictions. Check online with local, state, even national organizations for educational resources that can help ease concerns and change minds.
Use a “Best Practices” approach to your beekeeping. These are common sense guidelines that include such basics as: Keep hives 10 or more feet from an open property line; direct hive entrances away from neighbors’ yards; keep the number of hives within reason; put up a manmade or natural barrier that causes the bee’s flight path up and over people (a privacy fence, hedge row, etc..) You can find best practice suggestions on the internet. Oh yes, sharing an occasional pound of honey with close neighbors goes a long way toward maintaining happy neighbors.
Hives can be located in back yards, gardens, a porch in an apartment, a shed with access outside and even on rooftops. You are only limited by your imagination. Beekeeping can be fun and enjoyed by many.