Henry County residents, beekeepers clash over proposed beekeeping ordinance; commissioners take no vote

Henry County commissioners opened a public meeting to gather feedback on a draft ordinance aimed at addressing neighbor complaints about beekeeping, but took no vote and adjourned after a lengthy public comment period.

The meeting drew neighbors and multiple beekeepers who offered conflicting accounts. Christy Schuel, a neighbor of the beekeeper who raised the complaint, said the family “have moved our bees now 5 times” and described what she called hostile behavior and recorded vulgar language from the neighbor; she said she will consult an attorney if the situation continues. “We have been harassed,” Schuel said.

Experienced beekeepers pushed back. Alan Smith, who said he manages hives at the Wilburite Fish and Wildlife Area and maintains hundreds of colonies across multiple sites, warned countywide limits would harm agricultural operations and pollination services. “I currently have approximately a 120 hives,” Smith said, arguing it is difficult to identify which specific hives are visiting a particular yard because honeybees can forage miles from their home apiary.

Other beekeepers described practical explanations and remedies. Robin Scott, who said she keeps several hives nearby, explained that honeybees can forage up to five miles and that pools and other mineral-rich water sources attract bees. “Honeybees are not aggressive,” Scott said, adding that simple site fixes — permanent water sources, pollen feeders and careful feeding schedules — can reduce pool visits without new local rules. Another experienced beekeeper suggested moving hives temporarily “5 miles away” to demonstrate whether bees at a complaining neighbor’s property are the beekeeper’s bees.

Commissioners and several commenters also discussed legal constraints. A public commenter and multiple speakers pointed to state rules and Indiana Code Title 36 as limiting a local government’s ability to broadly prohibit beekeeping; a commissioner said a state apiary/aviary inspector might be an appropriate technical resource to evaluate whether a health or safety violation exists. The commissioners emphasized that enforcement in the draft ordinance would only trigger after a substantiated police-safety concern and that many disputes between neighbors may remain civil matters.

Elected officials said they were reluctant to make a countywide rule that would unintentionally penalize agricultural beekeepers. One commissioner characterized the matter as primarily a private dispute: “for the most part what you guys are going through is a civil matter that none of us 3 up here are gonna be able to fix,” he said.

After more than an hour of testimony and back-and-forth, a commissioner moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded and the meeting ended without a vote on the ordinance. Commissioners said they want to preserve options including referral to subject-matter experts, additional public education, and potential targeted remedies rather than an immediate, broad regulatory cap.

Next steps were not scheduled during the meeting; the board adjourned after hearing public comment and asking staff and community members to explore nonregulatory solutions and administrative referral options.