The Beehive State loves bees.
Most of the over 1,000 species of native bees in Utah are solitary, but it’s the hive forming native bumblebee that became a key symbol featured on both the old and new state flags.
So, it might be surprising to find out that city and county governments in Utah can regulate and even restrict local beekeepers from keeping hives on their property. Lawmakers might put those decisions in the hands of the state instead.
Republican Rep. Rex Shipp said he wrote HB0297 after a beehive inspector in Washington and Iron County, which he represents, complained about the local restrictions being placed on beekeeping.
“We live in an agricultural state,” Shipp said. “Bees are critical for pollinating our orchards and our gardens and our fields and flowers and everything. We need bees.”
Peter Somers agrees with that sentiment. He’s a beekeeper and owner of Beez, Hives n’ Honey in Salt Lake City. He said there’s a big difference between beekeeping where he lives and in other parts of the state. For starters, the honey tastes different.
“Most of the honey produced in Utah is alfalfa honey,” he said.
Sommers said the main purpose of most of the hives is pollinating alfalfa, but their honey is harvested into much of what's sold at Utah grocery stores.
For backyard bees in Salt Lake, however, “the nectar is coming from mint and thistle and linden trees.” As a result, it has a completely different texture and color and flavor.
So he doesn’t agree with the reasoning behind Shipp’s bill, adding that a “one-size fits all” approach won’t work everywhere.
“There are some places where it’s appropriate to have 20 beehives, and there are some places where it’s not appropriate,” he said. “It seems to make sense that [beekeeping] should be managed on a local level.”
Shipp has changed his original bill to now include input from local governments as the statewide rules are formed.
“The beekeepers group, all of them are experts in beekeeping,” he said.
“They’re gonna work with the cities and townspeople to come up with some guidelines that have to do with both urban and rural areas.”
The bill was advanced out of the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee on Feb.1. It now goes to the full House for debate.
