De Pere, WI Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

City Code § 86-7 lets a resident keep honeybees and mason bees, but nothing else: Africanized honeybees are explicitly prohibited by definition. A beekeeper must first get a permit from the city health department, good through June 30 of the year after issuance, for a fee set by council resolution; permits are not transferable or refundable, and only one issues per parcel. Only the record property owner, or an occupant with the owner's written consent, may apply, and the application must include a lot diagram showing distances to property lines and neighboring structures, written consent from every adjacent property owner, and proof of beekeeping education from a technical college, university or beekeeping association.

A pre-inspection by the health department is required before a new permit issues. Beekeeping is allowed only in R-1 Single-Family and R-2 Two-Family Residence Districts, one permit per parcel on a first-come, first-served basis, and no more than two hives per property. Equipment must stay in rear or side yards, screened from the street or sidewalk, and cannot sit closer than ten feet from a side yard line, five feet from a rear yard line, 15 feet from a public sidewalk, or 25 feet from a neighboring principal residence.

A six-foot flyway barrier is required within 25 feet of a hive unless the hive itself sits at least ten feet off the ground. Each hive site must post a sign reading "honeybee hive" with the beekeeper's name, readable at 25 feet, plus a copy of the permit. , with notice where practicable, and the health officer may suspend or revoke a permit for violations.