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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