A. 
It shall be the duty of any person having honey bees, Apis Mellifera, on his or her property to maintain each colony so as not to create a public nuisance.
B. 
Honey bee colonies shall, in addition, be maintained in the following condition:
1. 
All honey bee hives shall be registered with the Washington State Department of Agriculture as required by RCW 15.60.030.
2. 
Colonies shall be maintained in movable-frame hives.
3. 
Adequate techniques, such as requeening, in handling bees, and adequate space in the hive shall be maintained to prevent unprovoked stinging 75 feet or more from the hive.
4. 
Lots having less than 10,000 square feet shall not have more than four hives.
5. 
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.
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 public nuisances.
(Ord. 22662 § 1, 1982-04-06)
A. 
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and the Police Department shall enforce this chapter.
B. 
Proper officers of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and any Tacoma 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. 22662 § 1, 1982-04-06)
Any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity found to have violated any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000.00 or by imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Upon a first conviction, there shall be imposed a fine of not less than $100.00 and, upon a second conviction, there shall be imposed a fine of not less than $500.00 and, upon a third or subsequent conviction, there shall be imposed a fine of not less than $1,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Upon a conviction, and pursuant to a prosecution motion, the court shall also order immediate action by the person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity to correct the condition constituting the violation and to maintain the corrected condition in compliance with this chapter. The mandated minimum fines shall include statutory costs and assessments.
(Ord. 25557 § 2, 1994-08-23)