Roanoke, VA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Sec. 6-110 sets three placement setbacks that all apply at once: a beehive cannot sit closer than 10 feet to the property line of any adjoining property owned by someone outside the beekeeper's immediate family, closer than 50 feet to any house, apartment, hotel, office, commercial building, church or school used by others, or closer than 30 feet to any street as defined in Sec. 1-2 of the code. Sec. 6-111 separately requires every beehive owner to maintain an adequate, accessible, usable water supply for the bees within 50 feet of each hive.

Sec. 6-112(a) then caps density: no more than four beehives on a parcel of 10,000 square feet or less, with one additional hive allowed for each 2,000 square feet beyond that threshold; during swarm season (April, May and June) beekeepers may keep two extra hives above their normal allotment. Sec. 6-112(b) removes the density cap entirely for parcels of one acre or larger or any parcel zoned RA, Residential-Agricultural District. Sec. 1 defines a 'beehive' as a single colony, hive or stand of bees regardless of size, meaning a large multi-box colony still counts as one hive against the cap.

Sec. 6-109 exempts bees kept at an educational institution, museum, physician's office or laboratory for study or research, provided the bees are not permitted to fly at large. As with the chapter's other animal-keeping articles, any violation is separately declared a public nuisance under Sec. 6-108, giving an injured neighbor a right to sue in equity for correction, removal or abatement.