Illegal Beekeeping Laws Are Overturned

Being a humble beekeeper is illegal in many U.S. cities (more than 90, at last count), but 2010 saw several communities repeal laws that had equated beekeepers with heroin dealers and jaywalkers. Newly liberated cities run from coast to coast, with New York City – the largest city in the U.S. – ranking as the most prominent among them.

Beekeeping – especially urban beekeeping – has enjoyed a surge of popularity in recent years, following the local food and the home gardening trends. Even the White House garden features a few bee hives. Increasingly, elected officials are seeing that bees can live harmoniously with humans, even on the rooftops of Manhattan skyscrapers.