Ypsilanti City Council debates beekeeping in the city

Much like Ypsilanti's new chicken ordinance, a proposal to allow beekeeping in the city started with one resident.

After Lisa Bashert was cited for keeping a hive of honeybees on her Grant Street property, she asked the Ypsilanti City Council to allow residents to keep bees.

The City Council is considering that measure, but still has to iron out the details.

Earlier this year, Ypsilanti agreed to allow residents to keep chickens on their property. Ypsilanti began debating chickens after resident Peter Thomason and the city fought over the chickens, rabbits and goats he kept on his property.

The Ypsilanti City Council is modeling its beekeeping ordinance on similar ordinances from other communities. The proposed ordinance would allow households to keep two honeybee hives.

The council was set to vote on a first reading of the ordinance Tuesday until council members began questioning the details. The council ultimately agreed to hold off on a first reading until the language is fine-tuned.

Council Member Peter Murdock wondered whether bees would be permitted at multiple unit buildings. Council Member Lois Richardson worried about liability issues, such as residents getting stung by bees from a neighbor's hive.

Bashert insisted honeybees rarely sting unless they're stepped on and suggested Richardson was getting them mixed up with more aggressive species like hornets or wasps.

"I know the difference between a honeybee and a wasp," Richardson said.

Other council members said keeping bees is a good idea simply because they're in danger. Bodary said honeybees are vital for pollinating crops, but many hives are dying off from infections. He said it could be catastrophic for the country's food supply if the trend continues.

"The whole agriculture system could collapse (without honeybees)," Bodary said.

Bashert said up to one in six hives in the U.S. collapsed in the last few years. She said one theory is that they're getting contaminated from chemicals and added having them in the city would allow them to use a variety of flowers and plants to make pollen from without the dangers of heavy agricultural chemicals.

Bashert, a member of the Southeastern Michigan Beekeepers Association, said beekeeping isn't for everyone, and only a few people would likely take it up if it's allowed in the city.

"People don't go into beekeeping lightly," Bashert said.

The council plans to revisit the issue at its next meeting.

David Wak is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.