[Added 6-27-2018 by Ord. No. 5646[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Arts. XXVIII and XXIX as Arts. XXIX and XXX, respectively.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
APIARY
Any place where one or more colonies of bees are kept.
COLONY
The aggregate of worker bees, drones, queen, and developing young living together as a family unit in a hive or other dwelling.
DOMESTIC BEES
Any stage of the common hive or honey bee (Apis mellifera) or other species of the genus Apis kept and managed in artificial domiciles furnished by man specifically to serve as hives.
FERAL BEES
Any stage of the common hive or honey bee (Apis mellifera) or other species of the genus Apis living in natural domiciles.
HIVE
Frame hive, box hive, box, barrel, log, gum, skep, or any part thereof, which may be used or employed as a domicile for bees.
No person, firm, corporation, association, society or partnership shall engage, for profit or otherwise, in the propagation, keeping or sale of domestic bees unless he/she has first obtained a registration certificate for that purpose, and every person so engaged shall comply with all of the provisions of this article.
Application for the registration certificate under this section shall be made in writing to the Bureau of Health of the City of Easton and shall state the name of the applicant, description of the premises to be used by the registrant for beekeeping, the name of the owner of the premises, a site plan of the premises which identifies the intended location of the hive(s) and such other information as shall be determined to be necessary by the Bureau of Health for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this article. Existing beekeepers shall complete the application for the registration certificate within one year of this article's inception.
The Bureau of Health shall issue an initial registration certificate, upon application made pursuant to applicable sections of this article. Said registration certificate shall bear the date of issuance, the name of the person so registered, description of the premises covered by the registration, number of hives to be permitted on the premises and shall be prominently displayed in or about the area of the said place where the bees are kept and maintained. Every registration certificate shall be nontransferable and shall cover only the premises and the named registrant.
All registration certificates under this article shall automatically expire on the 31st day of December in the year in which they were issued. Thereafter, upon the application for the renewal of a registration certificate, the applicant shall meet the terms and conditions of this article. In the event that any other governmental entity has jurisdiction over the keeping and maintenance of bees, then and in that event each registrant shall be required to demonstrate and provide to the Bureau of Health evidence and compliance with all regulations and requirements of said governmental agency.
A registration certificate shall be issued annually and shall remain valid only upon the following terms and conditions:
A. 
Only the keeping of domestic honeybees shall be permitted.
B. 
The density of colonies on any lot may not exceed one colony of domestic bees for each 2,500 square feet of lot area. No lot shall have more than five colonies located thereon.
C. 
Hives shall not be located within 25 feet of any property line, public street, sidewalk, or alley and shall be situated behind a solid fence or hedge at least six feet in height, parallel to the property line, and extending at least 15 feet beyond the hive in both directions.
D. 
A water source shall be maintained on the lot for bees during all times that bees fly from the hive.
E. 
All colonies shall be maintained in movable frame hives and the use of standard beekeeping equipment shall be required. All apiaries shall be operated in accordance with established beekeeping guidelines and practices.
F. 
Hives shall be properly shaded from adjacent night lighting on adjoining properties.
The applicant for any registration certificate hereunder shall, at the time of his/her registration, pay to the City of Easton the following fees:
A. 
Beekeepers shall pay the fee specified in Chapter 285, Fees, for the first calendar year or part thereof, renewable thereafter for a fee as specified in Chapter 285, Fees, each calendar year or part thereof.
All beekeepers, registered as aforesaid, shall comply strictly with all applicable laws, articles, ordinances, and rules and regulations, insofar as they affect the keeping of honeybees and shall permit the inspection of the hives by any authorized representatives of the City of Easton and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Existing beekeepers shall have one year to comply with the provisions of this article.
In the event of receipt by the Bureau of Health of a complaint arising out of feral bees, the City of Easton may order extermination of a feral bee colony(s) at a specific property or location. The responsibility for extermination shall be that of the property owner. The City of Easton reserves the right to exterminate utilizing qualified City personnel or to have exterminated under agreement with a professional exterminator any feral bee colony located on a property whose owner does not comply with any order to exterminate in accordance with the provisions of the Third Class City Code regarding the abatement of public nuisances by the Board of Health. The City shall bill the property owner and upon nonpayment of such charges, the City shall file a lien against the property any expense incurred and unpaid as a result of the abatement of a public nuisance.
A. 
Any person violating any provision of this article shall upon conviction thereof be fined not more than $300 or imprisoned not more than 90 days or both.
B. 
Each violator of the provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day such violation shall continue and shall be subject to the penalty imposed by this section for each and every such offense.