Try the County Extension Office. They've got contacts for a variety of ag specialists.

as long as your hive is not in the city limits of Duluth. They are classified under "farm animals" My neighbor had a hive in his backyard and was sued by another neighbor because their kids were always geting stung. The animal shelter made him remove it. it was very annoying for us to be in our back yards with his hive. One time while he was at work us neighbors decided to go to menards and buy about 5 cans of bee and wasp killer and fix the problem ourselves, you would think he would of taken the hint. but no he decided to start the hive over again.

Well, there are ways to mitigate the flight paths of the insects so they don't concentrate in any specific area. Plus active hive management to keep the population numbers proportional to the area is important.

I understand the frustration you had, but 5 cans of wasp killer is a hell of a lot of poison to dump in an area. And kind of a jerk response to a bad situation. Why didn't you just call the city in the first place?

Just curious, did your neighbors kids make a habit of going over and kicking the hive or something? Bees usually keep to themselves, unless one bothers them.

follow the honey

Ask at the front desk at the co-op. They might be able to get you in touch with the people they buy honey from. Honey sellers might also be listed in the "local food" directory I've seen at the co-op. There are always people selling honey at the Harvest Festival in September, too.

bee killers...makes you want to believe in karma, doesn't it?

...or know of non-cranky honey bee owners...

That line makes me think that there is a good story not being told.

People who are allergic to or phobic of bees would certainly not appreciate a hive in the city. Maybe there are methods of mitigating flight paths, but to put the burden of fear on others is irresponsible if not reprehensible.

Hopefully you're planning on doing this in the country, and if so, please enjoy!

If bees are farm animals then why can't you pet them at the State Fair?

Who says you CAN'T pet them?

Help the honeybees! Prevent the loss of the world food supply.

Learn how you can help cure Colony Collapse Disorder. What is the bee tree?
thebeetree(dot)org

Even though it was kind of a kids' movie, the Jerry Seinfeld "Bee Movie" was not only funny and well animated, it had a very serious message about the importance of bees to our eco system.

I have some friends who keep bees. E-mail me and I'll give you their info.

I wanted to keep bees but alas, I live in Lakeside and "The Man" says I can't. I recommend taking the University of MN beekeeping course before you do anything. I met John Skalko at a Bee Seminar at Fond Du Lac College earlier this year and he seems like a nice guy. If he can't help you, I'll bet he can point you in the right direction.

If nothing else, you can plant a bee and butterfly garden. I cater to my "feral bees" and actually sit in the garden with a cup of coffee in the morning and watch them. Scary thing is, their numbers are drastically down this year.

Look up "Pollin-nation" on Youtube or watch "The Silence of the Bees" from PBS. Anything people can do for the bees is a good thing.

John Skalko's contact info: Skalko's Honey Bee Farm 142 Larson Rd. Esko, MN 55733 (218) 879 1177 [email protected]