Chapter 9.80
APIARIES
Sections:
9.80.010 Maintenance and registration of colonies.
9.80.020 Enforcement and entry – Right of entry for inspection.
9.80.010 Maintenance and registration of colonies.
(a) It shall be the duty of any person, firm or corporation having honey bees, Apis mellifera, on his or her property to maintain each colony so as not to create a public nuisance. Honey bee colonies shall be maintained in the following condition:
(1) Colonies shall be maintained in movable-frame hives.
(2) Adequate space shall be maintained in the hive to prevent overcrowding, swarming and unprovoked stinging 75 feet or more from the hive.
(3) Colonies shall be requeened following any swarming or aggressive behavior.
(4) Hives shall not be located within 75 feet of any property line, public street, sidewalk or alley except when situated behind a solid fence or hedge six feet in height parallel to any property line within 25 feet of the hive and extending at least 20 feet beyond the hive in both directions, or if such fence completely encloses the hives.
(5) No more than four hives, each with only one swarm, shall be kept on lots of less than 10,000 square feet.
(b) All honey bee colonies shall be registered with the Director of Agriculture as required by RCW 15.60.030.
(c) All other nests (colonies) of stinging insects, such as yellow jackets, hornets and wasps, including Vespidae, in trees, buildings, underground or in any other space, and diseased colonies of honey bees, constitute a public nuisance and subject the owner to the penalties imposed in this chapter. (Ord. 1073 § 1, 1994).
9.80.020 Enforcement and entry – Right of entry for inspection.
(a) The Tacoma-Pierce County health department and the Fircrest police department shall enforce this chapter.
(b) Proper officers of the Tacoma-Pierce County health department and any Fircrest police officers are authorized and empowered, during reasonable business hours, to enter premises to inspect hives or colonies for the purpose of ascertaining the variety of insects occupying the hives, conditions of health and management of crowding. Entry may be pursuant to warrant or pursuant to the consent of the owner or occupier of the premises, or without consent or warrant if there is probable cause to believe that a violation of this chapter is occurring on the premises and evidence thereof will be lost or destroyed before a warrant can be issued. (Ord. 1073 § 1, 1994).
9.80.030 Violation – Penalty.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Such person, firm or corporation shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by such person, firm or corporation and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000 for each offense, and each day such violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Ord. 1073 § 1, 1994).