The City of Houghton is considering a controversial proposal that could ban beekeeping within its city limits, sparking concerns among local beekeepers and environmentalists.

The Houghton City Council is currently accepting public comment on whether to rewrite or push forward Proposed Ordinance 2023-330, an ordinance on animal and pet keeping within Houghton City Limits, to replace Ordinance 10. The current language of the proposed ordinance would disallow beekeeping in Houghton if enacted. City Manager Eric Waara cites concerns over bee stings when hives are kept in small lots with close neighbors, particularly in regard to people who are allergic to bee stings.

Questions arise over whether the global environmental and impending food crises make it an appropriate time to ban the keeping of bees. Bees are a keystone species vulnerable to extinction and responsible for pollinating more than a third of the world’s food supply. Waara, points out, however, that some research suggests that keeping honey bees actually hurts the native bee population of an area.

According to Dr. Meghan Milbrath, a pollination expert at Michigan State University, native bees and honey bees end up competing for food resources. However, this can be offset by having policies and practices to promote more planting of flowers and flowering trees.

Waara maintains that trying to enforce beekeeping regulation and policy is a logistical nightmare. 

“How deeply do you want to regulate things? That takes resources in a community. If the community passes an ordinance that's unenforceable, it has wasted its time,” Waara said.

Copper Country Beekeeping Club representative Pete Cattelino says the process of making an ordinance that appeals to everyone could be simple.

“Many communities have ordinances that allow beekeeping under certain conditions and generally accepted best practices. We feel Houghton can use these ordinances as a starting point to write an ordinance that will be acceptable to the City as well as local beekeepers and provide for safe and responsible beekeeping.”

Cattelino said that honey bees play an important role in pollinating vegetables, fruit, flowering plants, and trees in our community. He ultimately hopes the Council will put in the effort so that beekeepers can continue to have bees in their yards in Houghton.

“Many backyard beekeepers enjoy having bees to produce honey for themselves and to improve pollination in their gardens and property,” says Cattelino. “Prohibiting beekeeping in the City of Houghton would eliminate the opportunity for existing and future beekeepers to participate in this fascinating and beneficial hobby.”

Some solutions being discussed might include requiring a minimum lot size or screening provisions for keeping hives (to make sure the bees fly up, away from people, instead of out), or appointing an officer to regulate sourcing.

The city council will decide whether Ordinance 2023-330 passes into law, effectively banning beekeeping in the City of Houghton limits. All residents are invited to attend and voice their concerns or lend their expertise on the matter. The next Council meeting is Wednesday, April 12, at 5:30 p.m. at 616 Shelden Aven. in Houghton.