Beekeeping in Santee, California

Hive limit: No hive count is set. The 400 ft separation from every property boundary is the binding constraint and needs roughly 15 acres to satisfy.

Note: Santee lists apiaries as a permitted use in its residential districts, and on paper that reads well, but the numbers do not work. The permission applies to lots of two and a half acres or more, and then requires every hive to sit at least 400 feet from any property boundary, as well as from any street, school, park or neighbouring dwelling. To be 400 feet from every boundary of a square parcel you need that parcel to be about 800 feet on a side, which is close to fifteen acres. A two and a half acre square is only about 330 feet across, so on a lot of the size the code itself names there is nowhere legal to put a hive, not even in the middle. Unless you hold genuinely large acreage, treat Santee as closed and take it up with the planning counter rather than assuming the listed permission is available to you. If you do have the land, note the one positive requirement: a water source on site, which is good practice everywhere and is written into the rule here. Register with the San Diego County Agricultural Commissioner as state law requires.

• Apiary is listed as a permitted agricultural use in the residential districts, on lots of two and one-half acres or more, subject to section 13.10.030(F). 13.10.030(C)(2)
• All hives or boxes housing bees must be placed at least 400 feet from any street, road or highway, any public school, park, property boundary, or any dwelling or place of human habitation other than the one occupied by the owner or caretaker of the apiary. A water source must be provided on site. 13.10.030(F)(1)(a)(i)
• Agriculture is defined to include apiaries, alongside horticulture, floriculture, viticulture and animal and poultry husbandry. 13.04