Representative Melanie Miller Testifies in House Committee on Commercial Apiary Legislation

State Representative Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) today provided sponsor testimony before the House Agriculture Committee on House Bill 911, legislation that updates Ohio's apiary registration and placement requirements to better support Ohio's beekeeping industry and ensure compliance with existing state law. The bill comes in response to concerns from local beekeepers in Rep. Miller's district.

"At its core, House Bill 911 is about protecting investments, encouraging compliance with existing law, and supporting the continued success of an industry that is vital to Ohio agriculture," said Rep. Miller. "It helps ensure that Ohio's beekeeping community can continue to grow and thrive while reducing conflicts that have increasingly become a source of concern for beekeepers in my district and across the state."

Current Ohio law requires apiary registration and provides temporary allowances for bees placed for the active pollination of flowering or blooming crops. However, concerns raised by commercial beekeepers have highlighted gaps in compliance and enforcement that can create challenges for colony health, hive productivity, and fair access to forage resources.

Specifically, some individuals are establishing larger apiaries near existing registered commercial operations without obtaining permission or properly registering those locations after temporary pollination exemptions expire. When too many colonies are concentrated in a small area, bees compete for the same nectar and pollen sources. The result can be reduced honey production, increased colony stress, and a greater risk of spreading pests and diseases between hives.

House Bill 911 addresses these concerns by clarifying and modernizing Ohio law by prohibiting a person from establishing a new commercial apiary within three miles of an existing registered commercial apiary unless permission is obtained from the existing registered commercial beekeeper.

The bill preserves important exemptions for:

• Landowners maintaining bees on their own property;
• Smaller apiaries containing fewer than ten hives owned by beekeepers with fewer than forty total hives statewide;
• Temporary pollination apiaries actively servicing flowering or blooming crops during the current 30-day exemption period; and

The Ohio Department of Agriculture reports that more than 6,500 registered beekeepers maintain over 56,000 colonies throughout our state. These apiaries play a critical role in supporting Ohio agriculture through crop pollination, honey production, and the maintenance of healthy pollinator populations.

Rep. Miller reinforced during her testimony that the bill is not intended to restrict hobby beekeeping or interfere with legitimate agricultural pollination activity. Rather, it ensures that larger commercial operations follow the same registration and placement standards already expected under Ohio law.

To watch Rep. Miller's testimony, click here.