March 19, 2024

Newton should embrace beekeeping

To the forward thinking City of Newton — In the late fall of 2013 I began learning about beekeeping. I was fascinated with the science the social structure of the hive and the undeniable work ethic of these tiny insects that keep our world alive beautiful and healthy. I spent time reading, learning and watching others. In the spring of 2015 I started two small hives inside the city limits of Newton. The two colonies of honey bees in my backyard thrived. In the fall of 2015 I was able to harvest a small amount of honey from two first-year hives.

Let me tell you about my first year experience — relationships with my neighbors got better. We talked almost weekly about the bees and about changes that take place in the hive. As spring progressed to summer we talked about all the benefits to our flower and vegetable gardens. The increase in produce production for tomatoes, cucumbers and melons was noticeable. I gave raw comb honey right out of hives to several neighborhood kids. The look in their eyes when they bite into a comb and had that fresh honey explode with sweetness and flavor is something they will never forget. I love teaching about the bees, what they are doing, and how the benefit all of us.

I kept my honey bees in my backyard just a few blocks from Aurora Heights school through 2015 and most of 2016 until the city served me with a demand to remove them. They claimed my property wasn’t large enough to host two bee hives that took up less space than a riding lawnmower. My busy backyard bees never bit a mailman, never barked all night, never created waste, never smelled and helped pollinate two square miles of my surrounding neighborhood and never bothered anyone.

There are many of us in your city already and even if eliminated us out of misguided fear and misunderstanding you would never try and get rid of the wild bees. I’d like to see our city encourage backyard beekeeping — something our world desperately needs. There is no logical or factual reason to prohibit beekeeping in the city limits based on property size. Allow Newton’s own local beekeepers to educate you and the public to create better local policies for everyone.

Follow the lead of your big sister city, Newton. Get to Know West Des Moines.

Micah Cope

Newton