Residential Beekeeping

UpdateYou can view and download the finished “Residential Beekeeping: Best-practice guidelines for nuisance-free beekeeping in Oregon” (EM 9186) at https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9186.   

You can also view OREGON’S RESIDENTIAL BEEKEEPING LAW. WHAT IS THIS LAW ABOUT? and Guidelines at https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/residential-beekeeping-oregon, the OSU site dedicated to providing information about residential beekeeping. 

What’s Next for the Regions? The cities and counties now have about one year to review their codes and consider bringing them in alignment with the new Residential Beekeeping requirements in statutes ORS 602.035 and 602.045 and the Best Practices for Residential Beekeeping from Oregon State University. Some governmental officials have started to inquire about doing this. So far they have been advised to wait, a bit, for issuance of the Best Practices and outreach by OSU and the OSBA. At the same time, and preferably sooner, residential beekeepers need to become aware of and follow, as needed, the recommendations in the Best Practices.

To aid in assisting the cities and counties and residential beekeepers, OSU and the Oregon Master Beekeepers along with the OSBA and its regional associations will need to:

1. Make available in hard copy and online OSU’s “Frequently Asked Questions About the Residential Beekeeping Legislation, House Bill 2653 of 2015” (now ORS 602.035 and 602.045). This has been done.

2. Video record and make available an online web broadcast of questions and answers concerning the new legislation and the Best Practices. Oregon State University to set this up early next year.

3. Provide assistance through Regional Residential Beekeeping Consultants to help cities, counties, and residential beekeepers implement the new statutes. If there is no Regional Residential Beekeeping Consultant, each region needs to soon select someone for the position. Please notify me of your selection.

4. In the spring, the Oregon Master Beekeepers will begin regional training on the Best Practices. The Oregon Master Beekeepers are working on this.

5. Have the Best Practices included as part of the basic beekeeping teachings, whether that training occurs as part of a regional Bee School or by one of the honey bee equipment suppliers. The regions need to add this teaching to their curriculum. One supplier has already agreed to do this.

6. Widely distribute by hard copy, through the Internet, honey bee equipment suppliers, Oregon Department of Agriculture, and others the Best Practices. Oregon State University is in final preparation of the hard copy and will also put it online. One supplier has also agreed to distribute it and offset some of the printing costs. A draft copy of the Best Practices can be made available to the regions for use by Bee Schools and Regional Residential Beekeeping Consultants.

To help educate OSBA members about the new statutes, provide a brief review of the Best Practices and their roles in this process, I would like and as convenient for the regions, to attend a monthly meeting in each region to explain and discuss this. My presentation can be as short as needed so as not to compromise other presenters already on the agenda. I would appreciate a call (503.364.3275) or e-mail rrodia@msn.com from the regional “agenda” maker to set up a time and date.

Mike Rodia