Ohio Cities Update Beehive Regulations to Support Beekeeping

About 6,000 beekeepers in Ohio register their hives, which support plant growth and provide natural food, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Summit County has over 300 apiaries, including several in Akron.

Starting an apiary requires a safe, sunny site, protective gear, a wooden hive box, two starter bee colonies, and registration with the local agricultural department. Carolyn Stevens and her mother, Cynthia Flaksman, operate Abelo Apiary in Akron. Flaksman, a beekeeper for 13 years, founded Abelo Apiary in 2010 in Waldo, Ohio, and restarted it after moving to Akron.