"A colony needs 30 to 60 pounds of honey to survive each winter. The average lifespan of bees is about two weeks. And individuals hold distinct jobs, from cleaners to foragers, during their life cycle. Nicholas knows how much bees contribute to California's agricultural economy and the alarming rate at which the population is declining. He's picked up that knowledge over the past three years while raising his own colony in his family's Proctor Terrace backyard."
"But earlier this year, the Bard family was hit with a surprising notice that threatened to bring the whole thing to a halt. Santa Rosa code enforcement officers in an April 16 complaint accused the family of operating a beekeeping business against city residential regulations and ordered them to remove the hive. "We thought it was a mistake," dad Zach Bard said. The bees aren't some sort of side hustle for the family."
Nicholas Bard, a nine-year-old in Santa Rosa, has detailed knowledge of honeybee biology, colony needs, lifespans and social roles. He has raised a backyard colony for three years as part of a local 4-H club focused on science and arts education. In April, Santa Rosa code enforcement alleged the family was operating a beekeeping business in violation of residential regulations and ordered hive removal. The family and local beekeeping groups have mobilized to affirm the legal right to keep bees, prompting city planning officials to begin drafting a beekeeping ordinance while enforcing existing prohibitions.
Read at The Mercury News
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