Brooke Decker
The apiary program in the District of Columbia is relatively new, there were no regulations for beekeeping in the District until 2012. Until then there was an obscure law that stated that you could keep bees as long as they didn’t leave the hive.
Thanks in part to the beekeepers of the District the new law was passed in 2012. The apiary program consists of one full time employee and one part-time intern. The District is home to over 500 honey bee colonies and 125 beekeepers. Unlike other jurisdictions the District is 100% urban with honey bee colonies being kept in a variety of creative spaces, from the White House garden to the top of the Kennedy Center, the balconies of row houses and a 19th century cemetery, a Franciscan monastery and numerous community gardens. The District is home to a vibrant beekeeping community. The District is home to over 700,000 residents in 68 square miles, more residents than some states, that is over 10,000 people per square mile. Because of these close quarters, beekeepers are required to register their colonies and follow density and distance requirements. With the close proximity to Maryland and Virginia, the District is happy to have a good working relationship with their apiary
programs.
