Negligence

This is always the first thing claimed against a beekeeper. A beekeeper can be found negligent if they place the beehive in a place where others could get hurt. So putting them next to your not so favorite neighbor while tempting may be cause for you to get into major legal trouble. Also, if you are found to be handling the bees in such a way that it makes them angry and they hurt someone else, that could also count as negligent as well as knowingly owning bees that are by nature aggressive. Then again the person with the complaint has to prove negligence so just know the laws as they pertain to your city and/or county.

State Inspections

Yes, these fun events (note my sense of sarcasm) are an actual thing when it comes to keeping bees. Each state has its own laws when it comes to inspecting apiaries which are handled by the Department of Agriculture. Also, if you plan to take your bees across state lines some states actually have laws prohibiting that.

It's odd to think that any state would put a ban on something that is such an important part of our ecosystem and in such a rapid state of decline but they have.  Until 2010 there was a ban in NY on beekeeping and in 2012 DC finally expanded their laws to allow beekeeping so it really does depend on what state you live in and what the law says. I honestly never knew that beekeeping was so widely regulated and controlled but I suppose anything that has the potential to harm others or make money is going to be regulated heavily.

Do you have any hive experience? Tell us what has worked best for you!

Article Source: E-How.Com