Ever wanted to keep a beehive on your property? If so, you are not alone. It’s an addictive hobby and it’s very easy to become immersed in apiculture. Attend one meeting at the San Diego Beekeeping Society and you will understand how deep the passion runs. Imagine if you will, a large room filled with “bee geeks” who all come together to discuss the honeybee. If that sounds good to you, you should check out their meetup group here.

Becoming involved in beekeeping is a rewarding experience, but before you take the plunge you should be aware of the liability involved. In San Diego there are three things you should consider before taking ownership of bees.

1. In San Diego, over 70% of the wild bees are Africanized. Even the most docile bees can become Africanized if the Queen mates with a wild drone. As a beekeeper it is your responsibility to control the aggression of the colony by re-queening the hive if necessary. Failure to do this is considered negligent and could result in an accident and/or fines from the County.

2. Location, location, location. Where will you put your bees?  Every city in the County of San Diego has different rules on where you can put your bees. The city of San Diego currently has the most lenient rules with regards to the square footage required in order to keep bees. Other areas like Spring Valley are more restrictive. Before you install bees, research the laws in your city to ensure that you are in compliance with the number of hives allowed, and the space requirements.

3.  Transporting bees from one location to another requires extra care. Before you relocate a hive box, extra care needs to be taken that all entrances on the hive box are covered or screened off during transportation. A truck that is sealed and has straps inside to secure the boxes is the ideal way to transport bees. Relocating the bees at night and avoiding heavy traffic is the best way to safely relocate a hive box.

Take a look at the video above. It’s a clip of the Bee Whisperer relocating two established hive boxes off of a customers’ property in Alpine. The owner of the hive boxes wanted the hives removed alive and relocated. In the clip you will notice that we arrived at dusk and relocated the boxes after dark.

Ever kept bees on your property? Looking to put bees on your property? Share your story below.