El Dorado County Municipal Code Art. II Regulations

Beekeeping is considered an agricultural enterprise for all purposes under the laws of the County. Beekeeping is recognized to be a valuable part of the agriculture of the County, including the beneficial products of crop and flower pollination, honey and beeswax.

(Prior Code, § 16,701; Code 1997, § 6.48.010)

A. For the purpose of this article, the following definitions shall apply, unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Apiary means any place where one or more hives or colonies of bees are kept.

Beekeeper means any place, firm association or corporation owning or controlling one or more colonies of honeybees for pollination or the production of honey, beeswax or byproducts either for personal or commercial use.

Bees means any stage of common honey bee, Apis, or mellifera L.

Commercial locations means apiaries where 50 or more hives of bees are kept.

Commercial operator means any beekeeper who maintains 50 or more colonies or hives of bees.

Hives means any object or container made for the use of bees, or taken possession of by bees.

Location means the lands upon which any apiary is located or found.

Out-of-County beekeeper means any beekeeper not a legal resident of the County.

B. Any word or phrase used in this article and not defined in this section shall be given the meaning established for such word or phrase by the Agriculture Code as it is now or hereafter may be amended.

(Prior Code, § 16,702; Code 1997, § 6.48.020; Ord. No. 3228, § 1, 1982)

This article shall in all respects be construed to supplement and harmonize with the provisions of law of the State pertaining to bees and the beekeeping industry.

(Prior Code, § 16,703; Code 1997, § 6.48.030)

All apiaries owned or kept within the County near school yards or places where people congregate shall be located and maintained behind barriers, natural or otherwise, so as to cause bees to fly at a high altitude over the school yards or places where people congregate.

(Prior Code, § 16,704; Code 1997, § 6.48.040)

No person shall place or keep an apiary on land not owned or possessed by such persons without first obtaining the written permission of the owner or person lawfully in possession of the land.

(Prior Code, § 16,705; Code 1997, § 6.48.050)

Any person maintaining an apiary on premises other than that of his or her residences shall have the apiary identified by a sign displayed on the entrance side of the apiary, stating either:

A. The name of the owner or person in possession of the apiary, his or her address and telephone number.

B. The current active serial brand number of the owner or person in possession of the apiary.

(Prior Code, § 16,706; Code 1997, § 6.48.060)

A. No commercial location may be established within two miles of another commercial location unless the other commercial beekeeper agrees to a closer distance. The commercial beekeeper in an area first shall have rights to that area.

B. If any County grower requests the services of a commercial beekeeper to provide colonies of bees for the purpose of pollination of his or her commercial crop, the restriction prohibiting the maintaining of commercial locations within two miles of one another shall be waived. This waiver shall apply only if the movement of bees onto crops for pollination purposes does not exceed ten days after the bloom is complete.

C. A property owner keeping bees will be exempt from this section. For the purposes of this section, the term "property owner" means the person who has actual use and exclusive possession of the land; provided, however, that any person leasing land for the primary purposes of establishing an apiary thereon shall not be considered a property owner, nor shall any person who does not own and personally manage and operate the bees and hives placed on the land.

(Prior Code, § 16,707; Code 1997, § 6.48.070; Ord. No. 3228, § 2, 1982)

Registration fees paid by out-of-County and County beekeepers shall be used by the Department of Agriculture to provide a special bee inspector during the months of March through June to monitor compliance with the provisions of this article and State law. This program will supplement regular bee inspections.

(Prior Code, § 16,709; Code 1997, § 6.48.090)

The owner or person in possession of an apiary shall provide the bees with an adequate supply of water. The water shall be available in the immediate vicinity of the apiary.

(Prior Code, § 16,710; Code 1997, § 6.48.100)

A. Firebreak. Every person owning, possession, or controlling an apiary in a forest land area where there is a danger of fire shall maintain a firebreak around such apiary meeting the following specifications:

1. A three-foot-wide area around the apiary shall be cleared to mineral soil of all combustible material.

2. Subsection A.1 of this section shall not be construed to require the cutting or removal of individual live trees.

B. Firefighting materials. The following shall be maintained, in good working condition, at all times when the apiary is attended by the beekeeper, near the apiary so as to be immediately available in case of fire:

1. A shovel;

2. A fire extinguisher.

(Prior Code, § 16,711; Code 1997, § 6.48.110; Ord. No. 3228, § 3, 1982)

Any vehicle transporting hives of bees shall be parked in such manner or screened so as to prevent bees from becoming a hazard or nuisance to people or animals in the vicinity when the vehicle is parked or stopped.

(Prior Code, § 16,712; Code 1997, § 6.48.120)

An person maintaining an apiary who violates any of the provisions of this article may be served with written, dated notice of the violation by any law enforcement officer of the County. The notice may be served upon the person in possession or owning the apiary or apiaries, personally or by mail, or if the address of the person is not known, by posting the notice in a conspicuous place on the apiary for seven days.

(Prior Code, § 16,713; Code 1997, § 6.48.130)

Any person violating any provision of this article shall be punished according to the general penalties described in Chapter 1.24. The enforcing officer may direct the movement of bees, where Section 6.44.210 is being violated, to a suitable place off the road where they will not be a nuisance to the public.

(Prior Code, § 16,714; Code 1997, § 6.48.140)