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Chelsea considering beekeeping ordinance

Courtesy photo. Bees gathering nectar from goldenrod.
Courtesy photo. Bees gathering nectar from goldenrod.

There appears to be support for a beekeeping ordinance in the City of Chelsea.

Following a presentation by Lynn Fox last month, beekeeping enthusiasts filled the City Council chambers Monday night in support of the city allowing the practice.

Six of them spoke in favor of beekeeping within the city limits and two letters of support were also handed to the City Council.

Discussion of the idea was brought forth by Jane Pacheco as an agenda item on May 2 and at the conclusion, staff was asked to draft an ordinance for City Council consideration.

Several city ordinances, including one from Ann Arbor, were included in the council packet as examples of what other cities have done.

In April, Fox told the City Council that the benefits of keeping bees are numerous.

“The first things that most people think of are either the rewards of harvesting your own honey or the positive impact the increased pollination will have on your garden,” Fox said, adding, “Flowers and plants will be much more profuse, and fruit and vegetable yields will increase dramatically.”

“Keeping your own hive helps not just your own garden, but also the shared ecosystem around you,” she said.

And, one hive can make a difference – although experts suggest having two to help increase a rapidly declining bee population. The cost, Fox said, is between $400 and $1,000 depending on whether you have one or two hives.

Courtesy photo. Worker bees share nectar.
Courtesy photo. Worker bees share nectar.

Fox also covered the concerns of those who might be allergic to bee stings and offered ways to locate the hives so the bees are funneled upward when coming and going from the hives.

In April she said, “Beekeepers should ensure the property has abundant pollen to prevent the hive from migrating, as well as a generous water source. Lastly, all bee hive areas should have signs so as to avoid intrusions that could potentially agitate the hive.”

According to the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign a very small proportion of the adult population (3 percent) and children (about 0.5 percent) are allergic to bee stings. Many of these incidents, she said, are actually from wasp or hornet stings rather than native bees or honey bees.

Also according to Fox’s research:

  • Honey bees and other pollinator populations started declining in the 1950s, from 6 million colonies in 1947 to 4 million in 1970, with the introduction of pesticides, some of which have since been banned.
  • In the 1980s, she said, the arrival of parasitic mites in the United States killed most feral honey bee colonies and further reduced honey bee populations. In late 2006, North American beekeepers witnessed a mysterious phenomenon dubbed “Colony Collapse Disorder.” Adult bees abruptly vanished from hundreds of colonies.
  • Today’s colony strength is about 2.5 million.
  • Pollinators are vital to humans and our planet, she said, adding, “One in every three bites of food we eat is courtesy of insect pollination – 85 percent of flowering plants depend on pollinators for reproduction.
  • Even plants that are capable of self-pollination tend to produce in greater quantities when pollinated by the honey bee. Healthy honey bee colonies are critical for meeting the demands of food production in the United States.
  • U.S. honey bee populations are declining at a stunning annual rate of 30 percent or more.
  • In Michigan alone the estimated acreage of crops of apples, cherries, plums pollinated by managed bees is 150,000 to 250,000 acres.
  • Below is a list of crops that rely on honey bee pollination (from the National Agricultural Statistics Service)

Apples, Almonds, Blackberries, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Rapeseed/Canola Oil, Avacados, Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Oranges, Raspberries, Watermelon, Peaches, Cantaloupe, Onions, Pears, Plums, Pumpkins

Studies have shown that urban bee populations are tougher than their rurally based counterparts due to diet. Each species of pollen provides a different assortment of nutrients and health benefits for bees. Since pollen diversity is much higher in cities than it is in the country, bees that pollinate in the former tend to be much healthier than those who reside in the latter.

The actions of a single person can make a difference—every citizen can contribute to pollinator conservation and should have the opportunity to become engaged in ways that are meaningful, Fox said.

Below are more resources:

https://www.ted.com/talks/dennis_vanengelsdorp_a_plea_for_bees#t-384309

https://www.ted.com/talks/noah_wilson_rich_every_city_needs_healthy_honey_bees

https://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing

https://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_the_hidden_beauty_of_pollination#t-71729

http://www.ipbes.net/ipbes-4-webcast

http://www.ipbes.net/article/press-release-pollinators-vital-our-food-supply-under-threat

https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/basic-tips-consumers-protect-pollinators

http://www.pollinator.org/fedhealthstrategy.htm

https://beeinformed.org

 

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4 thoughts on “Chelsea considering beekeeping ordinance”

  1. I am currently putting together 2 large displays at Haehnle Audubon Sanctuary about pollinators – their decline and how we can help. Would like to use part of this article in the display. If it is okay, may I please have the name of the writer?

    • Hi Helena:
      Although I put the story together, Lynn Fox did all the research, so please credit her as the author.
      Lisa Allmendinger
      Publisher
      ChelseaUpdate.com

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