Beekeeping Could Soon Be Legal In Lakewood

LAKEWOOD, OH — Beekeeping could soon be allowed in Lakewood.

City council is considering an ordinance that would permit the keeping of bees within Lakewood limits. According to the proposed ordinance, allowing an apiary should not drastically increase the amount of honey bees in neighboring yards.

Honey bees tend to forage while cruising at heights of 30 feet or more. Bees tend to travel no more than three miles while foraging. There are currently 23 apiaries in Lakewood registered with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

"...gentle strains of honey bees can be maintained within populated areas without causing a nuisance if the bees are properly located and carefully managed," the ordinance said.

Ordinance 14-2020 was introduced at the July 6 meeting of city council. Ward 2 Councilperson Jason Shachner introduced the proposal.

"Throughout the process of drafting this ordinance we heard from many interested residents that shared with us their beekeeping experience. We learned that honeybees are quite docile and curious creatures," Shachner said in a post on Patch. "One beekeeper told us that he doesn't use any protective gear as he handles thousands of bees in his hive. Another Lakewood beekeeper shared that he is allergic to bees but is not worried about being stung, and told us that his child plays in the backyard and has never been stung."

The beekeeping ordinance was referred to the Planning Commission and the Housing, Planning, & Development Committee for consideration. Shachner said he expects the ordinance to be ready for a final vote in the fall.

The full ordinance can be found in the agenda for the July 6 city council meeting.