Anyone wishing to maintain honeybees must obtain a license from the village and register hives with the Illinois department of agriculture. West Dundee license holders are subject to the following regulations:
A. Property owners are permitted to maintain up to four (4) hives or colonies of honeybees on premises. If the property is less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet hives shall be limited to two (2) primary and two (2) nuc colonies.
B. Hives shall be located on the rooftop of the principal structure, on the rooftop or deck area of an accessory structure of adequate size, or in the unimproved area of the rear yard of the property. No hives are permitted on any part of the front yard or side yard including corners.
C. All hives shall be set back ten feet (10') from the property line.
D. For hives within twenty feet (20') of a property line, a flyaway barrier or screen must be provided. A flyaway barrier can be a fence or landscaping that is a minimum of five feet (5') in height. The flyaway barrier can be close to the hive or at the lot line. All fencing must be installed in conformance with regulations of section 9-1A-7 of this code.
E. Owners are required to maintain a convenient and adequate source of on site fresh water to prevent the bees from straying from the property in search of water.
F. A small sign to announce "Bees On Premises" shall be posted at walkway or gate area entrances to the rear yard of the premises to warn visitors to the property of the presence of bees on site. This sign shall not exceed two (2) square feet. Signs are not required for rooftop hives.
G. Anyone seeking the issuance of a honeybee keeping license from the village of West Dundee will first provide courtesy notification of his or her plan to keep honeybees to any property owner with land abutting the rear yard area. The beekeeper should be prepared to provide information and resources to help educate their neighbors and alleviate fears. (Ord. 2021-10, 4-19-2021)