A swarm of honey bees hanging from a tree or gathering near a building may alarm some residents, but Emily Mueller sees an opportunity to protect a colony.
As the owner of Mueller Honey Bee Rescue and a former Summit County apiary inspector, Mueller responds to swarm calls across Summit County, helping residents identify honey bees and safely relocate them.
Her work comes amid proposed changes to the city’s beekeeping ordinance that supporters say would make regulations clearer, encourage responsible beekeeping and better align local rules with state standards.
The proposed ordinance in front of Akron City Council would eliminate Akron’s local beekeeping permit requirement and instead rely on the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s existing apiary registration system.
It also would allow hive limits to be based on parcel size, remove a requirement for water sources with backflow prevention devices, and establish a process for handling complaints through the city’s 311 system and state and county apiary officials.
Akron’s current permitting process ‘not enforced’
The current regulations do not align with best practices and create barriers for residents interested in beekeeping, said Ward 1 Council Member Fran Wilson, who sponsored the legislation.
“Why remove the permitting process on the city side? Because it is not enforced,” Wilson said during Monday’s Housing and Neighborhood Assistance Committee meeting. “We also should understand that the state has a registration that all apiaries are supposed to be registered with anyway.”
The proposal would allow Akron to rely on state and county officials who already oversee apiary registration, inspections and enforcement rather than maintaining a separate city process.
Following the discussion, the Housing and Neighborhood Assistance Committee agreed to place the ordinance on the consent agenda for July 20’s council meeting, which means it will get a thumbs up or down vote along with other legislation on the agenda.
Wilson also announced that the city will host a press conference at 1 p.m. Friday, July 17, at Akron Honey’s Microfarm, 1045 Jefferson Ave. in Highland Square, to educate residents about urban beekeeping and the importance of pollinators in Akron.
State registration offers a more clear process
Akron’s current permit system has left many residents unsure about how to comply with the city’s beekeeping rules, said Michelle Colopy, executive director of LEAD for Pollinators, an Akron nonprofit that supports beekeepers, honey bees and other pollinators.
“Nobody knows if they’re allowed to have bees, because the current legislation isn’t clear. No one knows where to issue a permit,” Colopy said during the committee meeting.
Moving registration to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s apiary program would provide a clearer process because the state already tracks colonies, conducts inspections and addresses hive health concerns, she said.
“Since the state apiary program has a registration, that’s the best place to start to get people to register,” Colopy said.
How are registered hives monitored?
Akron’s current permit requirement has been difficult to enforce because the city requires beekeepers to obtain a permit it does not issue, said Randy Katz, Summit County’s apiary inspector.
The unclear process also makes it difficult to know how many apiaries are operating under the current requirements. There are 72 registered apiaries in Akron, while Summit County has between 300 and 500 registered apiaries, Colopy estimated.
Registering hives with the Ohio Department of Agriculture allows county apiary inspectors to monitor colony health and help beekeepers manage their hives, Katz said. As Summit County’s apiary inspector, he visits registered apiaries to inspect colonies for pests, mites and diseases and works with beekeepers to improve colony health before problems spread to other hives.
Replacing the city’s permit system with the state’s registration process would encourage residents to properly register their colonies and follow best management practices without significantly changing how beekeeping operates in Akron, Katz told Signal Akron.
“It’ll encourage people to do it the right way,” Katz said. “It will encourage them to be good beekeepers.”
Despite concerns some residents may have about backyard hives, complaints are rare, Katz said. In about six years as Summit County’s apiary inspector, he has received only one complaint from a neighbor about bees.
County apiary inspectors also help resolve concerns by visiting apiaries, evaluating complaints and working with beekeepers before involving state officials, Mueller said.
While working with Cuyahoga Falls, Mueller said she once helped a beekeeper move a hive slightly after a neighbor raised concerns about its location.
“The county apiarist will go out and tell the beekeeper what they should do,” Mueller said.
What should Akron residents know about honey bees?
Residents often confuse honey bees with yellow jackets and hornets, Mueller said. Unlike wasps and hornets, which build visible gray paper-like nests, honey bees typically build wax comb inside enclosed spaces such as hollow trees or wall cavities.
“Honeybees get a bad reputation because of yellow jackets and hornets,” Mueller said. “They are very gentle, very docile.”
That confusion often leads people to believe honey bees are responsible when they encounter aggressive, stinging insects, she said.
Residents who encounter a honey bee swarm can contact local beekeepers through resources such as by calling 211, online searches or community referrals. Beekeepers can often safely collect swarms and relocate colonies before they settle into unwanted locations.
Mueller said clearer regulations could also encourage more responsible hive management.
“I think that this will honestly help improve the beekeepers in the community,” she said.
