Feral Honeybees Now Illegal in Arizona

[George Fergusson]

Not sure how this got passed without turning up on Beesource, maybe it did. Feral Honeybees have been declared a Public Nuisance:

http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2306

[MountainCamp]

"There will be no fiscal impact to the state General Fund as a result of this bill."

Another unfunded mandate that the property owner will have to foot the bill for.

[onelove]

"A feral honeybee is any colony of bees that is not maintained by a beekeeper." of course, if a beek were to "maintain" them, then would be ... what? ...domesticated? formerly-feral?

sounds like all this does is enable cities and counties to take action to remove feral colonies. maybe an opportunity here for beeks?

[Jeffzhear]

But what is the real implication? Maybe someone can come on your property, in your house, barn, etc to dispatch honeybees, without your permission?

Maybe I am missing something...

[Aspera]

I don't see how it makes a difference. The bees must be both feral AND a safety hazard to a populated area. Essentially that excludes all non-Africanized colonies.

[MountainCamp]

I don't think that you missed anything. They will have the legal right to remove the "problem" and make the world safe. They also have the right to charge "you" the land owner for their services they performed, whether or not you approve.

[Jeffzhear]

Mountaincamp, I had a bad feeling that was the case... Take away a personal freedom for the benefit of the whole.

[George Fergusson]

I don't see how it makes a difference. The bees must be both feral AND a safety hazard to a populated area. Essentially that excludes all non-Africanized colonies.

I'm sure the definition will be expanded to include bees living in abandoned, or seemingly abandoned equipment, and knowing how some beekeeper spend next to nothing on hive maintenance, not even a little paint now and again, that definition might end up including a fair number of managed colonies.

If beekeepers have nice looking, well-maintained hives with clear identification on them, they're probably OK, until someone gets stung. As for targeting only those ferals posing a hazard to populated areas, well I think you're just being optimistic Aspera.

[Troy]

I don't personally have a problem with any part of this except the monetary part of it.

I understand that the Gov't feels that it is in their job description to protect the public, and Africanized bees can certainly be a danger in some circumstances.

I just don't understand why the property owner must bear the cost. I mean if the neighbors are complaining and they want it removed and they are going to trespass on private property and all the least they can do is bear the cost, right?

I thought it was good that the language of the bill is pretty targeted at bees that are in structures and in populated areas. I would be very worried if it applied everywhere all the time. A property owner with a large tract of land could end up with a huge bill to eradicate a 1000 acre tract of land, for instance.

As it stands I think that could not happen, so at least the private citizen is protected from that level of harassment.

[MountainCamp]

"or any condition or place that constitutes a feral colony of honeybees that is not currently maintained by a beekeeper and that poses a health or safety hazard to the public."

By definition "or any condition or place" this section is not limited to populated areas.

This statue would leave a lot to the imagination. Such as “currently maintained”. If I have not been to a colony for a month or two, I am current?

If I have a hive that throws a swarm or two, is it now a safety hazard?

[iddee]

The way I read it is the owner has 24 hours to take action after being notified. If the owner sprayed, removed, or even contracted with a beek to have them removed, that would be considered taking action. Once removed and put in a beek's hive, then they would be maintained. Only if the owner ignored the notification and did nothing would the state hire a pest control to remove them.

I think the law that every state has now concerning movable frames could be used to do the same thing if some gov. agent wanted to push it.

[James Henderson]

I repeatidly explain to the troops working on the permanent vehicle barrier installation project on the border here on the Tohono O'Odham Nation that if they swat at the foraging AHBs, they will just piss them off. I suggest they walk away, walk around a bush, or leave them alone, and the bee will usually leave THEM alone. Still they want to swat at the bee that is just looking for food and water. Swatting usually results in a sting and me saying "I told you so."

It's just the fear of a critter with a stinger or potentially a bunch of them.

When I have a honeystix with me, I'll catch one of the foragers and feed the bee the honey from my hand. My coworkers seem amazed that I can have a few AHBs licking honey or water from my hand and I never get stung.

The scary thing is that other states could enact what Arizona is doing even if swarms are just feral Europeans, Russians, etc.

Typically when John Q. Public or public gov't body calls a beek to remove a swarm or for a structure removal, the beek takes the bees home and puts them in a white box. Is this now illegal or are the bees suddenly managed and off the kill list?

Will we now see the bee police driving all across Arizona killing bees that don't live in a box?

[Atlas]

I have heard of this bill possibility before. It seems interesting. I wounder why the law makers would not spend their time on other more important things. I don't think of feral honey bees as a nuisance but more of a commodity. It's true that bees here are a bit meaner then people would like but few are really so mean that they would attack someone for no reason. I mean at least we still have feral colonies! There are mean hives in every state. Not only that but I have noted that over the years the AHB strain is getting more and more diluted with calmer strains. I support removing bee hives from urban areas where some wank is bound to piss them off and get stung up, but for the most part bees are doing quite well here.
On another note I have not seen a feral hive with Varroa mites for quite a while now. Also CCD has yet to show it's ugly face down here.
I personal would like to requeen most of my hives because once you get into them they become difficult to work with. I have some that are more tolerable, and don't have a bit of trouble with mites. I think that if we give them a few more years they will get to the point that we will be able to work with them with little trouble. Even my meanest hive will not bother me if I am 15 feet away. Until I am in the have pulling frames they are not too bad. After that point I can get a 150 stings a minute if I'm not careful.
Currently all the hives I have are feral, I think that if I want to requeen them they will at least have a strong foundation. Most are 4.9mm cell too. So they raise regressed bees.
Over all I would hate to see feral bees here be eliminated because they are considered a "nuisance". It is possible that these are the bees we will need to pollinate the future crops.
If I do say so.

[onelove]

makes it look like legislature is doing something useful.

i dont think there's any danger of anyone with resources declaring a war on bees any time soon. i've heard that humans have never driven any insect species to extinction. not to say it hasnt happened, but as to honeybees with a range across every country in N & S America, it wont happen by our hand.

beekeepers don't throw enough money at lobbyists, obviously :+)

[Joseph Clemens]

Actually this new "law" is redundant, it says basically what our current zoning laws, here in Pima county already do. I highly resent that they added this amendment for "Honeybees" to this existing law concerning sanitation. Implying that honeybees are on a par with unhealthy conditions described in the majority of this law. It does make this state-wide, which it may not have been prior to this new amendment.

[Chrissy Shaw]

You may have a problem with it, as do i, but in my county, if you have acres and any weeds listed as noxious, the county maintains the right to come on that property and remove those weeds at a per-hour charge by county contractors. It takes only one such weed found to allow this action to take place. After a great many incidents with rifles in ag inspectors noses, it seems to have calmed down on the counties actions. Can these weeds be destroyed, in most cases control is all that is possible in that these different weeds do not respond to typical weed control. In other words this is done for someones uncle who needs a job.

Chrissy

[berkshire bee]

Mountaincamp, I had a bad feeling that was the case... Take away a personal freedom for the benefit of the whole.


Jeffzhear, You've got it HALF right. Take away their personal freedom for the benefit of noone

[sierrabees]

Living in California I find this pretty scary. Our fearless leaders in this state have refined the process of knee-jerk legislation to the point where practicly nothing else can get passed in the state legislature and the cave dwellers in our cities will support anything as long as it doesn't increase the cost of their cell phones and TV cable service.

This whole area of the state has an incredable population of yellow jacket wasp hives that make africanized bees look like well trained draft horses. I bet they will never try to do anything about them, or if they do they will come up with a plan that will eradicate just about anything that has more than four legs.

[Hobie]

Just more **** legislation on something trivial when there are greater issues that should be addressed. Why am I not surprised?

[Gary L]

Any of you beekeepers heard of the NAIS? Big Brother is Here!

[David Stewart]

Sounds like the wording typical of nuisance laws in cities....If you fail to maintain your property (mow your lawn for example or maintain/repair an abandoned building on your property), the city will send over a crew to mow it for you and bill you for the cost of the service. Fail to pay and they will have utility services cut off................... The only time I ran afoul of this, the threat letter alone was sufficient for me to dust off the old weedeater and sharpen the mower blades..... In this case- if the city deems the colony 1. Feral, 2. a nuisance, 3. You are up a creek...........

David

[David Stewart]

Any of you beekeepers heard of the NAIS? Big Brother is Here!

I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to install and track all those micro chips.....Man and I thought seeing eggs was tough.

David

[JohnBeeMan]

>> Big Brother is Here!

If my brother acted that way I would kick his butt. It is, "Big Government is here!" and society's beleif that government should protect everyone from everything - bedbug bites to nut cases with guns.

[Tia]

I just don't understand this. Why would anyone want to kill any honey bees at all be they "feral" or not! We need all the honeybees we can get! I think the Einstein quote about if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left" pretty much sums it up!

[beegee]

People want to kill honey bees for the same reasons they want to kill snakes and spiders. They react to a preceived threat without thinking about long-term consequences. I think it's called ignorance. It's pandemic.

[Kieck]

I think it's easy for us to sit here with rose-colored glasses when it comes to honey bees.

First, Einstein's quote is likely a bit off. Bees are good pollinators, but they aren't the only pollinators. Also, note that it's "bees" (including solitary bees and bumble bees and all forms of bees) and not "honey bees."

Then, consider the impact of AHB in areas like Arizona.

Imagine if you had a nest of yellowjackets living in the wall of your home. What would you do? Would you view them as valuable to the ecosystem, and even to human economics (yellowjackets consume huge numbers of other insects, including pests)? Or, would you view them as a threat to your person, your home, and even to your bees?

Personally, I think the law would be difficult to enforce at least. How many homeowners are likely to leave unmanaged bee colonies alone, law or no law?

[sierrabees]

I just don't understand this. Why would anyone want to kill any honey bees at all be they "feral" or not! We need all the honeybees we can get! I think the Einstein quote about if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left" pretty much sums it up!

Laws are passed by politicians. Our illustrious president is quoted as saying, "I don't read the newspapers, just scan the headlines." I suspect this is typical of most politicians. The only thing they are really interested in is their rating in the latest poll, and then only if it goes up. I suspect that they read only what their aids have highlighted and passed on to them as "important". Too much superfulis knowledge in the head can throw off your golf game.