South Bend allows honeybees, limited to 2 active hives per quarter-acre. Hives keep a 4-foot setback from lot lines, never closer than 10 feet to a sidewalk or property line, with a 6-foot flyway barrier where unfenced.
Municipal Code Article 6 (Sec. 5-53) permits keeping the domestic honeybee, Apis mellifera, and excludes Africanized bees. No hive may exceed 17 cubic feet, and no more than two active hives are allowed per quarter-acre. Hives must sit at least 4 feet from the property line and in no event closer than 10 feet from a public sidewalk or property line; on unfenced lots the beekeeper installs a flyway barrier at least 6 feet high within 4 feet of the hive entrance. Fresh water must be supplied. Indiana Code 36-1-28 bars the city from banning beekeeping on property you own or rent.
Keeping an apiary out of compliance is unlawful under Sec. 5-54. The Division of Animal Welfare issues a citation carrying a $75 fine per violation, and each day is a separate offense. Nuisance or abandoned hives may be removed.
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