Caddo Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

UDC Sec. 7.3.C governs backyard beekeeping as an accessory use, though it does not apply where the lot's principal use is already agriculture. Hives are restricted to the rear yard only, and every hive must sit at least 10 feet from any lot line and from the principal building on the lot, keeping colonies away from a neighbor's fence line and away from the beekeeper's own house. Every colony has to be kept in a removable frame hive that is maintained in sound, usable condition, which lets an inspector or the beekeeper actually examine the combs rather than relying on a fixed, unopenable box.

The flyway barrier rule kicks in based on proximity: if a colony sits within 25 feet of a lot line, measured from the nearest point on the hive to that line, the beekeeper must build and maintain a flyway barrier at least six feet high, made of a hedge, fence, solid wall, or a combination of those, running parallel to the lot line and extending 10 feet beyond the colony in each direction. The purpose written into the barrier requirement is functional: it forces bees to fly at an elevation of at least six feet above ground level as they cross into adjacent yards, keeping the flight path over people's heads rather than through it.

Beekeepers also must keep a convenient water source available to the bees at all times, and any colony that turns unusually aggressive, stinging or trying to sting without provocation, or shows an unusual tendency to swarm, must be promptly re-queened by the keeper. Apiaries do not require a building permit, unlike most other accessory structures covered in the same article.