Photo by Mr. T in DC

It’s not yet a movement to produce locally-made honey, but it’s getting there—a D.C. Council committee yesterday approved a bill that would make beekeeping within city limits easier.

Beekeeping is currently allowed under D.C. law—we spoke to the godfather of local apiculture earlier this year—but under limited circumstances and subject to ambiguous restrictions that might dissuade newcomers.

Under the new bill, sponsored by Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), beekeepers will be able to maintain up to four hives per quarter acre of property, provided that they are at least 15 feet from a property line. (They can be within five feet if another means to keep the bees from escaping is available.) Additionally, hives will be allowed in multi-unit buildings “if permission is secured from the property manager or owner.” And to assuage any concerns that bee-phobes might have, the bill specifies that bees must be selected from colonies known for “gentleness and non-swarming characteristics.”

Many existing beekeepers have opted to put hives on the roofs of their homes; at least a few hundred people throughout D.C. keep bees. When we spoke to beekeeper Jeff Miller in February, he told as that urban bees do quite well relative to their rural counterparts.

“The behavior and life cycle are identical, but the foraging material in urban context seems to be a lot more plentiful and diverse than it is in the rural areas. In the District specifically we have a very green canopy that includes a lot of trees, on the streets and in parks. Trees are great for bees. As the season wanes, a lot of non-native species are here that extend the nectar flow—the nectar availability season. Plus there’s a lack of competition in the urban environment. We don’t have a lot of other competing pollinators, so it makes for a smorgasbord for the bees,” he said.

The bill still faces two votes before the full council before becoming law.