Good Neighbor Policy

Good Neighbor Policy

ResourcesGood Neighbor Policy

Bee A Good Neighbor

Members of the CLUB will comply with the CLUB’s Good Neighbor Policy:

  1. No more than four hives of honey bees for each one-quarter acre or less of lot size will be maintained on any lot.
  2. No hive of honey bees will be maintained within ten feet of a boundary line of the lot on which said hive is located.
  3. A six-foot hedge or fence will be placed between the hives and the neighbors, if the hive is ten feet from the neighbor’s yard and the entrance faces the neighbor’s yard.
  4. No hive of honey bees will be maintained unless an adequate supply of water is furnished within twenty feet of said hive at all times between March 1 and October 31 of each year.
  5. No hive of honey bees will be maintained unless such hive is inspected not less than four times between March 1 and October 31 of each year by the owner of the lot on which said hive is located or his delegate. A written record including the date of each such inspection will be maintained by said owner and will be available by authorized individuals.
  6. No hive of honey bees will be maintained in a residential area in such a manner as will constitute a substantial nuisance.

The Long Island Beekeepers’ Club strives to educate both beekeepers and the public concerning Honey bees and beekeeping. Our “Good Neighbor Policy” provides common sense guidelines to beekeepers to create a positive environment for the neighbors of their backyard colonies of honey bees and all beekeepers are encouraged to consider their neighbors. Honey bees and beekeepers live in harmony with their neighbors in many different communities throughout Long Island. In some instances, though, there are misunderstanding or friction with neighbors. As a non-profit, the Long Island Beekeepers Club does not involve itself in legal matters of its individual members. However, there is a wealth of information available to members on how other beekeepers have successfully worked with their local communities to obtain permits to keep bees. Here are just a few links providing information on beekeepers dealing with their local communities.