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Bee Licensing
Per the City of Shawano Municipal Code, a permit is required to keep honey bees. The Code states that no person shall keep honey bees in the City without being a beekeeper and obtaining a valid permit issued by the City Clerk. The permit process requires a completed application accompanied by the fee as determined by the Common Council. The permit will expire December 31 of each year. A new permit must be reissued annually and a new fee paid with each application.
Additional rules and regulations include:
Additional rules and regulations include:
- No more than four hives are allowed on premises.
- All hives shall have combs which are kept in sound and usable condition and removable for inspection.
- In each instance in which any colony is situated within 25 feet of a developed public or private property line of the tract upon which the apiary is situated, as measured from the nearest point on the hive to the property line, the beekeeper shall establish and maintain a flyway barrier at least six feet in height consisting of a solid wall, dense vegetation or combination thereof that is parallel to the property line and extending 10 feet beyond the colony in each direction so that all honey bees are forced to fly at an elevation of at least six feet above ground level over the property lines in the vicinity of the apiary.
- A property owner shall cause any abandoned hive to be removed from the property. All hives shall be actively maintained. Hives not under active human management and maintenance shall be dismantled and removed by the most recent permit holder.
- No hive may house a colony of insects other than honey bees.
- A constant and adequate supply of water shall be provided within 20 feet of the hives. The water source shall be designed to allow honey bees to access the water by landing on a hard surface. This provision shall not apply during the winter.
- All hives and related structures that form the apiary shall be located a minimum of 15 feet from all property lines and public sidewalks and shall be faced towards the interior of the owner's property.
- In any instance in which a hive exhibits unusually aggressive characteristics it shall be the duty of the beekeeper to destroy or re-queen the hive. Queens shall be selected from stock bred for gentleness and nonswarming characteristics.
- In addition to compliance with the requirements of this section, no beekeeper shall keep a hive or hives that cause any unhealthy conditions or interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of human or animal life of others, any public property or property of others.