Mosinee, WI Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 10-9(c)(29), prohibited animals list
- Rule
- Bees, wasps, hornets banned citywide
- Exceptions
- Vets, fairs, 4-H, schools, zoos only
- First-offense penalty
- $25.00 to $500.00 forfeiture
- Applies to
- All property within Mosinee city limits
Summary
The City of Mosinee bans keeping bees, wasps, or hornets anywhere in the city, listing them among the wild and dangerous creatures prohibited under section 10-9(c)(29). The narrow exceptions in section 10-9(d), for veterinarians, fairs, 4-H projects, schools, licensed pet shops, and zoos, are built for animal exhibitors and give a backyard beekeeper no path to keep hives legally.
(c)Wild animals; prohibition on keeping. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, maintain or have in their possession or under their control within the city any poisonous reptile or any other dangerous or carnivorous wild animal, insect or reptile, any vicious or dangerous domesticated animal or any other animal or reptile of wild, vicious or dangerous propensities. Specifically, it shall be unlawful for any person to keep, maintain or have in their possession or under their control within the city any of the following animals, reptiles or insects: ... (29)Bees, wasps and hornets.
Full Breakdown
Section 10-9(c) of the Mosinee Code of Ordinances opens with a blanket prohibition on keeping, maintaining, or possessing any poisonous reptile or other dangerous or carnivorous wild animal, insect, or reptile within the city, and then lists 30 specific categories of banned creatures. Item (29) names "Bees, wasps and hornets" outright, placing honeybee colonies in the same prohibited list as lions, wolves, and poisonous snakes rather than treating them as ordinary livestock or a permitted agricultural use. Section 10-9(d) carves out exceptions to the whole list, but only for creatures in the care of a veterinarian, at agricultural fairs, in 4-H Club shows or projects, in judging displays, with an itinerant carnival or circus, at dog or cat shows, at public or private schools, in licensed pet shops, or at a zoological garden that meets the city's zoning rules, keeps clean and sanitary quarters, escape-proofs its enclosures, and keeps housing at least 100 feet from anyone's residence.
None of those categories describes a residential beekeeper maintaining hives in a yard, so section 10-9(c)(29) functions as a citywide ban on keeping bees rather than a permitted, licensed, or setback-based use. The prohibition sits in the same subsection as the city's bans on bears, wolves, and venomous snakes, underscoring that the code treats beekeeping as a public-safety prohibition rather than a nuisance or licensing matter left to a homeowner's discretion.
Violations & Fines
Keeping bees, wasps, or hornets in Mosinee is enforced the same way as the rest of section 10-9's prohibited-animal list, through the police department and the citywide general penalty in section 1-13: a forfeiture of $25.00 to $500.00 plus costs for a first violation and $50.00 to $1,000.00 for a repeat violation within twelve months, with jail time of up to 90 or 180 days if a forfeiture goes unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep honeybee hives in my Mosinee backyard?
Does Mosinee treat bees differently from other insects?
What is the penalty for keeping bees in Mosinee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mosinee
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Marathon County handle beekeeping.