West Bench beekeeper argues bylaw against two-hive maximum after neighbours complain

A West Bench homeowner was stung by the board of  the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen which denied her application to keep numerous beehives on her property, contrary to existing bylaws.

A bylaw enacted in 2017 limited the number of beehives on rural properties to two. The RDOS board heard the applicant now has eight beehives on her property.

The application to keep the eight honeybee hives was denied by the board after they heard a neighbour complained about her children being bothered and afraid of bees and other stinging insects coming from the neighbour’s yard.

The applicant also asked to vary the regulation requiring honeybee hives to be located to the rear of a principal dwelling, by allowing hives to remain in her front yard.

“Administration considers that the proposal will likely result in land use conflicts with adjacent properties and for this reason is recommending denial,” said a staff report.

The applicant, who did not give her name, told the RDOS board Thursday she and her family have had honeybee hives in their yard for more than 14 years and no other neighbour has ever complained.

Because she basically has no back yard as her property line abuts Penticton Indian Band land, she had no choice but to place the honeybee hives in her front yard, she said.

The existing zoning bylaw includes allowances for the keeping of honeybees, subject to certain size and siting restrictions.

The RDOS has received written complaints regarding the placement of honeybee hives on the subject property without a water source, as well as bees swarming.

Senior administration considered that the number and location of beehives being proposed will “likely introduce conflicts between property owners as the current siting of the beehives overlooks the neighbouring property’s back yard, which would likely place people using their yard in the flight path of bees going into and leaving the beehive.

The applicant said the complainant purchased her home and property a couple of years ago and opened a daycare centre.

Every spring, the neighbour puts a wading pool out in her front yard in early spring and this attracts hornets, wasps, butterflies, wild bees and honeybees as they’re all attracted to sitting water, she said.

“No one else has a problem in our area that I’m aware of,” she said. “No one has ever made a complaint.”

Honeybees are the most effective pollinators of any insect species and are largely responsible in assisting Mother Nature for growing fruits, vegetables, flowers and crops that make the Okanagan such a wonderful place, she said.

“I feel we should be focusing more on protecting pollinators and encouraging local food security,” she said. “These honeybees are actually very gentle creatures. I’ve worked among them and I’ve never been stung.”

She’s been stung by wild bees, hornets, wasps and other insects, but never by a honeybee, she said.

“So that fact that our neighbour is concerned about our honeybees makes me wonder if they’ve ever encountered wild creatures before,” she said.

She and her family assist a wild honey manufacturing company which sells their product locally at the Penticton Farmers Market, she said.

Her only pay is a bucket of honey from them each year, she said.

“They do all the work,” she said.

She can’t have the hives on the north side of her property because the trucks from the honey company would have to drive over her septic system, she said.

“The way the house is situated, we just don’t have a back yard, which is the recommended place.”

The vast majority of stinging insects won’t bother people sitting still, however, they do get agitated when humans are moving quickly and trying to swat them away, which unfortunately happens with children attending the neighbour’s daycare, she said.

Director Riley Gettens, who represents the West Bench, said “it would be great if all the children just stood still and if we all learned that.”

The problem is there are now eight honeybee hives when there should only be two, the hives are located contrary to existing bylaws in the front yard and not in the back yard, she said.

“The reason we have bylaws is so the other neighbours can enjoy their lawn as well,” she said. “If the bees were in the right spot and they had the right number of hives, this may not be happening to them.

“What’s happening is we’ve got too many bees in too small of a location close to neighbours. That’s what the conflict is.”

Taking care of bees is tantamount to being an animal owner and it’s this property owner’s responsibility to take care of them properly, not the neighbour, Gettens said.

Existing bylaws are in place for a reason and it’s not the neighbour’s fault this applicant has contravened provisions, said Gettens.

Director Subrina Monteith agreed with Gettens.

“People deserve to enjoy their property. That’s why we have our homes. Our largest asset. We should not have to not enjoy our homes because our neighbours are breaking a bylaw that makes sense,” said Monteith, who represents Kaleden and Apex.

Director Bob Coyne said he was having a difficult time with this decision as the applicant has had these beehives on her property for 14 years without complaints from anyone.

“Fourteen years is a long time for everybody to just not notice it,” he said. “That’s what I struggle with on this one.”

Gettens reiterated bylaws are formed and enacted for good reasons, including making difficult decisions much easier to digest when they’re supportive of an existing bylaw.

“I just have to follow the bylaw on this one,” she said.

The motion to deny the request from the applicant was carried by a 6-3 vote. Bob Coyne, Rick Knodel and Adrienne Fedrigo were opposed.