Idaho Falls Council Approves Beehives
The Idaho Falls city council is welcoming back honey bees after outlawing them from the city nearly 50 years ago.
On a four- to- two vote the Idaho Falls City Council has elected to allow city residents to keep non-commercial beehives on their property.
Councilwoman Ida Hardcastle says a group of hobbyists initially proposed the law, which repeals a 1960 ordinance forbidding beehives within city limits.
BYU Idaho professor Ward Hicks teaches bee keeping at the university and spoke in favor of the ordinance at the council meeting last night.
Hicks says one third of all food we eat is in direct correlation with the number of honey bees pollinating.
With a huge decline in wild honey bees over the last three decades, Hicks says more bee keepers will be advantageous for gardeners.
?We have a lot of people who want to grow their own garden, their own fruit trees and they are finding they can’t do that without pollinates to do that such as the honey bee,? Hicks said.
Concerned about public safety, Councilmen Ken Taylor and Tom Hally voted against it. They pointed out that Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center treats 31-35 insect sting incidents per year.
Hicks says honey bees are not aggressive and most sting injuries come from yellow jackets and wasps.
The ordinance, which passed on 2nd and 3rd readings Thursday night, was developed by the Idaho Falls Police Department and based on similar laws already on the books in other cities.
Hardcastle says it is not an inexpensive hobby. Each hive would cost $400 to $500 to start and she says the typical Idaho Falls lawn could legally house one or two hives.
While the practice is now legal Hicks says you should receive training before becoming a bee keeper.
Large cities such as Salt Lake City and even New York City permit bee keeping within city limits.