ANIMAL LIFE: Manhaattan Beach considers fate of local beekeepers, pigs, roosters
by Mark McDermott After a year contending with COVID-19 surges, the City Council last week was faced with reports of a potentially nettlesome but altogether different kind of surge. Of beekeeping. At the behest of Council, city staff launched an investigation into animal-related nuisances and specifically examined existing regulations governing bees, pigs, and chickens in residential areas. At the April 20 council meeting, staff reported that there had been a “beekeeping activity surge,” as evidenced by four animal-related nuisance complaints received since 2018 — three relating to bees, and one regarding roosters. City planning manager Talyn Mirzakhanian told the council that urban beekeeping generally is on the rise due to the planet-wide disappearance of bees. “Over the last decade, local jurisdictions have experienced a surge in residential beekeeping activities, partially in response to evidence indicating that a number of bee species have become endangered,” Mirzakhanian said. “According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, bees are the most well-known pollinators, and pollinators assist in the plant reproduction by helping to move pollen within or between…
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