Sad news.

[Wojtek]

Sad news.
I am sharing this with you so you could avoid similar unpleasant experience.
I received a note from village official (Norridge IL, near Chicago) to remove my bees from my back yard property, “code violation”, 4 bee families. Initially 6 days to comply, extended later to 2 weeks.
The hives are Kenyan TBH type with windows, garden / backyard character, ornamental. Bees are absolutely harmless. I never used a smog, veil used only very rarely, only with major jobs with a lot scrubbing, cutting and direct extensive irritation in brood area. One side neighbor had nothing against a bees, with the other side neighbor there was no discussion about it. This neighbor is separated with high, dense hedge about 9".
I put a lot of work and my hart to construct the hives and I developed a few innovative things and devices for this kind of beekeeping, not talking about gathered results of observation, what I shared with other in my home page, (some of it)
Now all this have to forgotten because my type of beekeeping, in which honey is a secondary thing as a gift in addition to a pleasure of beekeeping have to be liquidated.
Translocation of hives to different area is out of question because my type of beekeeping is only possible in backyard condition, not remote setting.
So, with sadness I will have to say goodbye to this group of beekeepers.
Wojtek

[c10250]

That's sad news.

If you want to sell them, I can probably find someone interested in Bartlett. He would give them a good home.

I made sure to check my ordinances prior to purchasing bees. Got my apiary license early just so I was grandfathered in.

Ken

[c10250]

From your village ordanances:

Sec. 34-31. Enumeration.
A. Declaration. The following are declared nuisances for any person within the limits of the village:
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33. Keeping animals other than domestic pets. To own, keep or allow to be at large any bees, goats, sheep, hogs, cattle or fowl within the village. The term "fowl" shall include chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks or pigeons.
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Whoever violates any clause, section or provision of this article shall be fined not less than $25.00 nor more than $1,000.00, and if the offender shall fail to abate such nuisance, then any offender shall be held to a penalty of not less than $25.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each and every day such nuisance shall remain in existence after notice to abate such nuisance.

[Michael Bush]

Very sad. I keep hoping all the current publicity about bees dying will wake people up.

[c10250]

Go down to your next village board meeting and educate them. Ask them to remove bees from the list. It might take a while . . .

[peletier]

Wojtek,
I have enjoyed your website, and your hives are very unique. Sorry about this situation.

[Wojtek]

We may hope but if this will wake them up at all this, as usually, will be too late.

[Michael Bush]

Run an ad in Craig's list etc. you might find someone who will let you put your bees on their place. If it's close by it could work better than not having bees at all.

[RayMarler]

it's not the people that causes this, it's the national and international farmers and food distributors, and government lobbiests. You notice in the clause it's all food producing bees and animals and fowls that are restricted. The move is on to force out small family gardens and small farms and force people to buy their foods in the grocery stores and 'approved' farmers markets and co-ops. We are in the end of days and times are going to get tougher. Sorry to hear you had this happen to you, it's a very sad day when people can not enjoy a small bit of God's creation in their own back yard.

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Wojtek, I have appreciated your innovation and artistic hives. I think Mr. Bush is on the right track, there is a lot of interest in people producing local food at the moment. Perhaps there is someone with a suitable location in your vicinity - it has to be worth a try. Good luck, Adrian.

[Countryboy]

I'd contact the White House. See if the White House can give you some kind of exemption for having bees.

I'd also go to a council meeting, and point out that the President feels so strongly in favor of Americans owning bees that he now has bees at the White House.

Ask council what you have to do to apply for a variance. (where you get a permision slip to break a code.) They may allow you to keep the bees if you ask nicely.

[BWrangler]

Wojtek,

Oh my gosh! I'm sorry to hear this!

No need to leave though. Beesource is as much or more about people than it is bees. And even without bees, temporarily I bet, you still have alot to offer.

I hope you keep your website up and running. It's a great resource. And as you think about your experience, you'll have more to add.

Best Regards
BWrangler

[Aram]

Sorry to hear. Wish I could help. Asking for a variance, it might work. If nothing else it will slow things down and allow you to find a new home for the bees. The problem with the variance is that they notify all your neighbors and ask for their input before they give a variance. If any neighbor opposes the town gets scared of lawsuits so they deny it. See if you can resolve the issue with the neighbors and ask for a variance.
Good luck,
Aram

[LenInNorCal]

Woj,
It is sad to read such a thing, but I think you have been given some sound advice. First, move the bees because the law says so and do it within the time you were given. Then write a letter on your computer and make several copies and send them to the town council members, the town attorney, mayor, local newspaper, state senator, federal senator and all others. Here in California we have a Grand Jury (civil, not criminal) that will investigate ANYTHING local they receive a complaint about, such as yours. I looked at Illinois site (http://www.state.il.us/court/default.asp) with no such luck, but maybe some local person could assist you to see if there is an ombudsman type of service in your area to address the matter. Be sure to include your website and and possibly a Bee Society Group to stand with you in solidarity. Go to the town meetings, make your voice heard. You have a good thing going and I think a lot of people out here in cyberspace would rally to your help fight the sadness of such unfair laws. Good luck

[papa bear]

sorry about your situation wojtek, but don't worry everything works out for the best

please forgive the para-phrase

yesterday, they came for the guy across town, and i said nothing
today, they came for my neighbor, and i said nothing
tomorrow will they come for me,............

you may think you are immune from encroachment, but think about that city slicker that moves out to the country to get away from the city and is appalled that they are no ordinances to keep you inline

please get involved

[Wojtek]

I am very thankful for all of you for expressing sympathy and readiness to assist.
This is not a tragedy for me. There are plenty of other really serious reasons for what we are helpless and hopeless. Sure it is sad to stop suddenly doing something pleasant and useful between other things when skiing, tennis or windsurfing on waves of Okipa Hawaii has got irretrievable history.
My type of beekeeping was a kind of useful pleasure when other physical activities have got impossible. Straight, erected, comfortable position, no bending and lifting during manipulation and maintenance of hives, simple main construction, this was what I wanted and that is why I mention in some of other post that I don’t see any negative sides of this type of hive. (Yung, physically fit persons may have different opinion). Not amount of honey was a motor of my activities but useful pleasure and relax from other not physical activity. There was plenty of honey for me and some friends. I didn’t sale any honey and this was not my intention. Having all this a few steps from my back door is the most important thing. That is why I don’t intend to move these hives to some remote place and do some maintenance work once a week or two weeks of even less often, as Michael Bush and Adrian Quiney in good intention suggested. To beg some officials for mercy? - to change a law or “law” one little bee even suicide in protest is not enough.

This is not only my personal case. This is something much bigger, affecting large spectrum of matters in which a bunch of ignorants create a law. In this case I could bet that this bunch of persons didn’t differentiate common honey bee from wasp, otherwise they wouldn’t put all bees in one bag together with other things and say NO. They don’t know that there are thousands of kinds of bees. For these intellectually primitive bureaucrats it was “wise” to say NO, and this is what is sad.

Peculiar thing is that when one person has a problem to get something some other person has a problem to get rid of the same thing. May be not a big problem for me I hope.
Wojtek

[Eaglerock]

Quote: Run an ad in Craig's list etc. you might find someone who will let you put your bees on their place. If it's close by it could work better than not having bees at all.


Mike always has great ideas... Find yourself some place else to put them...

[Michael Bush]

I know it's not at all the same thing to have them somewhere else as to have them in your yard where you can enjoy them all the time.