Bees are considered an indicator of environmental health and can have many benefits for both beekeepers and their communities including increased pollination of local flora, honey production and local market opportunities, and can provide a unique and ecological avenue for neighbors to connect with one another. As cities are vibrant environments for pollinators, cities across the U.S. are beginning to allow urban beekeeping. There are special considerations to take when setting up hives – including attention to stinging of neighbors or other potential aggressive bee behaviors, quality of water sources, and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As beekeeping is a relatively new desire of city dwellers, there are relatively few municipalities that prohibit beekeeping, though most do enforce \u201cnuisance laws\u201d that regulate conditions that people might find objectionable, such as excessive noise or odors. As such, some municipalities put constraints on urban beekeeping activities, such as limiting the number of hives that can be kept and requiring beekeepers to register their hives, as is the case in New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, there are some municipalities that prohibit beekeeping altogether in New York State, such as Ithaca and Geneva. Several other ordinances make no explicit mention of beekeeping.\u00a0 Before beginning any urban beekeeping project, contact your city hall or a local beekeeping association to clarify any relevant regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is legal to keep bees in New York City, but beekeepers are required to register their hives with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene within 30 days of hive establishment and renew their registration annually. Registration and renewal forms are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under New York State law, Department of Agriculture and Markets, Article 15, all beekeepers regardless of municipality must report outbreaks of bee disease and pests. When keeping bees in cities, certain best practices are recommended to minimize disturbance to neighbors and to prevent \u201cnuisance conditions.\u201d The New York City Beekeepers Association (NYCBA) suggests the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To download the NYCBA\u2019s Best Practices for Beekeeping and for more information about urban beekeeping, visit the NYCBA website<\/a>. Beekeepers associations and groups often provide educational resources, including classes, to interested beekeepers, are familiar with beekeeping ordinances, can refer beekeepers to trustworthy supply companies, and offer apiary services such as hive health diagnosis and swarm collecting.\u00a0 Below is a listing of New York State beekeeper\u2019s associations specializing in urban beekeeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to classes offered by the beekeepers associations mentioned above, other organizations and groups offering beekeeping classes and workshops in New York State include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NYCBA recommends the following texts as good resources for beginning beekeepers:<\/p>\n\n\n\nNew York State Law<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nTips for Keeping Bees in Urban Environments<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nResources for Urban Beekeepers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
New York State Beekeepers Associations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Beekeeping Classes and Workshops<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Beekeeping and Urban Beekeeping Books<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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More urban beekeeping books include:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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