LEWES, Del. - A new proposed ordinance would allow people living in the city of Lewes to have beehives in their backyard.
Some of the requirements of this ordinance include: obtaining a permit through the city, registering with the State Apiarist, having no more than two hives per parcel of land, and more.
Blair Cherico has a hive in his backyard in Rehoboth Beach and said anyone looking to start beekeeping need to start with education, "-learn as much as you can about the bees before you get a hive. Most people will get intrigued, jump on it, get a hive, and then try to learn it as they go through and that's where most of the failure comes from."
While beehives are known for producing honey, they also produce wax, propolis, and royal jelly.
Although some Lewes residents are stunned by the idea of so many stingers close to home, "I think you can have a few sites here and there that are very much spread out and they have to be in an environment that's not close to any property that people are living on." said Mauro Licciardello.
For those interested in learning more about beekeeping before jumping into their own hive, the Lewes Beekeeping Club has many opportunities to get involved, inside the hive or not, "We have about thirty hive locations and again those are all hives that are setup for the purpose of educating people that are interested in learning about bees." said member Somner Crosby.
This ordinance proposal will be discussed further at a public hearing on March 13.