The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday morning in support of an ordinance that will allow urban bee keeping in Los Angeles, according to a spokesperson for Councilmember Jose Huizar.
The ordinance allows bee keeping across the city, but restrict it to backyards, where owners would be required to maintain proper water sources on their property.
Beehives will be limited to one in every 2,500 square feet of backyard space. There will also be restrictions on how close hives can be to neighboring properties.
The City Council voted last month in favor of the proposed ordinance, and instructed the City Attorney to draft the finalized ordinance approved Wednesday.
Huizar led the City's Planning and Land Use Management Committee in vetting the ordinance, according to a spokesperson.
This legislation began a year and a half ago when the City Council voted to begin analysis and code amendment processes on the ordinance.
Backyard beekeeping can help maintain healthy bee populations in urban areas, according to Huizar's spokesperson. Bees face multiple ecological stresses such as disease, climate change and pesticides.
