Henry County hears neighbor complaints about dozens of beehives; commissioners ask staff to research options
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Summary
A Henry County resident told commissioners swarms from a nearby beekeeper’s hives repeatedly forced his family from their pool and led to stings; the beekeeper and local apiarists disputed that swarming indicated mismanagement. Commissioners took the matter under advisement and asked staff to research applicable state and industry guidelines.
Tim Erlage told the Henry County Board of Commissioners that swarms from a neighbor’s beehives had repeatedly driven his family from their backyard pool and led to two people being stung while removing a pool cover.
"We were forced out of the pool and into the house," Erlage said, describing multiple episodes and presenting photos and video to the board. He said the hives had multiplied in the past two years and estimated there were about two dozen on the neighbor’s property; he asked the county to consider an ordinance limiting hive numbers and placement similar to one he said exists in Brown County.
Eric Scholl, the neighbor identified himself as a relatively new beekeeper and said he has moved hives and added water sources to discourage bees from visiting the pool. Scholl described swarming as a normal reproductive behavior and said beekeepers lose colonies when swarms leave. "When a bee hive swarms, that's a loss to me," he said, adding that he is willing to work with neighbors and other beekeepers to find solutions.
Local beekeepers including Laurie Norris and others who spoke at the meeting described swarming as a normal seasonal behavior and offered practical suggestions — locating alternate water sources, timing relocations and mentorship for new beekeepers — while cautioning that simple numeric limits could harm responsible apiarists.
County staff and commissioners discussed legal limits and practical trade-offs. The county attorney said state law prevents an outright ban on beekeeping but allows regulation of hive numbers and adoption of standards consistent with industry guidelines. Commissioner Susan Hoon (Southern District) said local beekeepers did not want restrictive ordinances but acknowledged the Erlage family’s experience of reduced enjoyment of their property.
After extended public comment and technical input from local apiarists, the board did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting. Instead, commissioners agreed to "take it under advisement," requested staff research applicable state law and industry guidelines (as referenced by the Apiary/Apiary Inspectors Association wording in the packet), and encouraged private mediation between the parties where possible. The board said it would revisit options once staff reports back.
The matter remains open; commissioners asked staff to provide the relevant regulatory guidance and any legal constraints before proposing draft rules.
