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ORIGINAL Ziesmer Bee Colony Description <br /> Dear Orono City Planner and Council, <br /> The purpose of this letter is to notify you that my wife and I have recently submitted a conditional use <br /> permit application to begin our new hobby of beekeeping this spring. <br /> Our family has lived at 3440 Bayside Road for 32 years and have thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of our <br /> community. Marie and I appreciate the space many of us have to beautify our properties with flower <br /> gardens, enjoy fresh vegetables from our gardens,tend and harvest fruit trees,and even provide delicious <br /> vegetation for the deer population. Having bee colonies on our property will enhance production and <br /> beauty of these plants in our neighborhood. <br /> The Orono City Code defines bee colonies in the same category as farm animals and requires at least one <br /> acre for the property dwelling and one acre for each animal unit—with which our 2.03 acre property <br /> complies. There is no clear definition in the code establishing how many beehives are equivalent to an <br /> animal unit,so the city planner asked that I work with the University of Minnesota Bee Squad to determine <br /> the appropriate number of hives for our property. Contact was initiated February 6 and I'm waiting for a <br /> response. <br /> The code states that any building or structure associated with the animals is located more than 150 feet <br /> from the nearest adjacent residence and at least 75 fee from the nearest lot line. The site plan submitted <br /> indicates the area where the beehives will be located based on these parameters. <br /> To help us start our hobby off on the right foot,we have enrolled in the University of Minnesota Bee Squad <br /> online course entitled "Beekeeping in Northern Climates"that takes us through two seasons of beekeeping <br /> and has been a terrific resource. We have also joined the West Metro Bee Club (based at Otten Bros <br /> Garden Center) and we look forward to sharing experiences with fellow beekeepers in our area. <br /> Finally, I have listed a few facts and benefits of having bees in our neighborhood (source- <br /> https://www.benefits-of-honey.com): <br /> • Bees are responsible for pollinating 70 of the 100 crops that provide 90%of the world's food. <br /> • It is the only insect that produces food eaten by humans. <br /> • Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including enzymes, <br /> vitamins, minerals,and water; and it's the only food that contains "pinocembrin", an antioxidant <br /> associated with improved brain functioning. <br /> • A honey bee can fly for up to six miles,and as fast as 15 miles per hour. <br /> • It takes one ounce of honey to fuel a bee's flight around the world (National Honey Board). <br /> • A honey bee visits 50 to 100 flowers during a collection trip. <br /> • A colony of bees consists of 20,000-60,000 honeybees and one queen. Worker honey bees are female, <br /> live for about 6 weeks and do all the work. <br /> • Each honey bee colony has a unique odor for members' identification. <br /> • Only worker bees sting, and only if they feel threatened and they die once they sting. Queens have a <br /> stinger, but they don't leave the hive to help defend it. It is estimated that 1100 honey bee stings are <br /> required to be fatal. <br /> Thank you for your help and I look forward to working through the approval process with you! <br /> Todd Ziesmer <br /> 3440 Bayside Road <br /> Orono, MN 55356 <br /> tziesmer@usfamily.net <br /> 612-250-9293 <br />