Red Hot Chili Pepper/neighborhood council meeting attendee Flea and his backyard bees, via LAist
Backyard beekeeping still isn't allowed in Los Angeles, but the city's been inching its way toward legalizing it, prodded by the dropping number of bees and the rising popularity of urban farming) and the years-long debate may soon be drawing to a close. Yesterday, the LA City Council voted to have the City Attorney draw up an ordinance that would allow homeowners in neighborhoods zoned for single-family houses to keep bees in their backyards, reports KPCC. There would be rules about where hives could go on a property and what kinds of things a beekeeper would have to provide for her bees (like a water source) so that they don't stray too far from the property.
Several neighborhood groups were against the ordinance because they felt it lacked substantial protections for the safety of those around the hives. They were pushing for would-be beekeepers to attend apiculture classes and "have insurance in case of injurious stings." They also wanted to create a registry of master beekeepers that could be called in in cases where a swarm of bees needed to be removed (which would actually be a great resource for the public).
Once the ordinance is drafted, the LA City Council will vote on the finalized version.
· LA homeowners may soon have the right to own bees [SCPR]
· All the Details on Los Angeles's Plan to Legalize Backyard Bees [Curbed LA]