alameda county animal services

[Rob Mathews, 2025 ACBA President]

(I'm posting this on behalf of Michael Fanfa, because Google Groups was giving some trouble with the images.)

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Good evening felllow beekeepers,
Michael Fanfa here,
I hope everyone is well today. Bad news for me today. I received a letter from AC Sheriff Office today. See three attachments.
The other attachment is the registration of my hive which obviously has no bearing. Does anyone have any experience in this matter?
It looks like since I only have .11 acre lot and not a full acre, merely paying the $100 will not let me keep my hive.
I will call them tomorrow, for now I am hoping for some workable options to converse with them about.
Any help will be appreciated,
Sincerely,
Michael Fanfa

[Paula Breen]

Oh wow, that's awful. So if this is coming from the county, does that rule supercede any local ordinance? I know San Leandro has its own specific rules, and I wonder whose rules apply when the town and the county don't jive. Does Castro Valley have any specific rules? 

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[Robin Chatham]

It appears to be a template letter from which you extract what applies to you.

It says you may not keep beehives since your lot is too small. 

The $100 permit does not apply  to you?

Robin Chatham

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/CAMCjtwn1qBeQCiG1tHO8WWQ3vrL2H5KyGq-65W4eAseFmA0r%3Dg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Alan Pryor]

Print the bumper stickers 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/CAOY1SVN4MXR6x%3DvJ1zxMqpEGj_GGnhTncKdLbtA5okYqH%3DepUg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Robert L Mathews]

Castro Valley is unincorporated, so Alameda County "unincorporated area" laws apply. Sadly, the law (dating back many decades) does still say that there's a minimum lot size of 1 acre.

Minimum lot size laws for bees are obviously silly, because they wrongly treat bees like cows, sheep and other animals that need space to roam and graze within a fenced area.

Sue Donahue has been doing a lot over the last few years to get the unincorporated Alameda County laws changed to "nuisance complaints only", and I hope she'll jump in here with the status of that. But it's likely that the reason Michael got this letter is that someone complained that they're causing problems, because the sheriff isn't wandering around checking for beehives... something probably prompted this.

Michael, have neighbors complained to you previously about the bees at all?

On Sep 9, 2025, at 10:37 AM, Paula Breen <paulae...@gmail.com> wrote:

Oh wow, that's awful. So if this is coming from the county, does that rule supercede any local ordinance? I know San Leandro has its own specific rules, and I wonder whose rules apply when the town and the county don't jive. Does Castro Valley have any specific rules? 

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Robert L Mathews

[Paula Breen]

Michael, if you need a place to park your bees for a short time while you try to work something out with your neighbors you can use my space in San Leandro. Maybe if you move them to another area of your lot they would be less of an issue for whoever complained? Let me know, happy to help if I can.

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[Joan Houston]

Livermore has a similar ordinance. Minimum lot size half an acre, Hive can only be painted white, and it had better not swarm.

$100 fine is for getting nailed. Hive still has to go.
Stupid shit.

Of course I have one in my back yard. The rest are in the unincorporated part of Livermore/Alameda County.

But c’mon.

The neighbors know. They get honey regularly and gift baskets at Christmas. Salves, balms, candles, honey candy, etc.

Contractors don’t care. They get honey, too.

To my knowledge nobody else knows or gives a rat’s ass. I keep my fence closed and don’t advertise.

We have chickens, too, another “illegal” enterprise. Much louder than bees. Neighbors get eggs.

I have that same bumper sticker on my truck. When people ask I educate them.

Stupid stupid stupid.

[Alan Pryor]

I suspect the county supervisors and Sheriff as well would be open to discussing these ordinances. The discussion has changed over the years from when these rules were written. 

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[Susan Donahue]

Hey Folks

Thanks for all the I treat in this really old problem.  For the past few years a subcommittee of the ACBA have been meeting with the county to change the standards I. unincorporated areas of AC around the keeping of bees.  We think we are in the home stretch.  We have worked with supervisors of these areas in conjunction with AC animal control to come up with a workable solution for the county and beekeepers.  

I will reach out to animal control on this situation and see what can be done.  

Stay tuned

Sue Donahue

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/CAELxpV7mPhrDZ%2BnDCgCiTcjBAE0Rvi9fQH26iCFF7jLSL8WP_A%40mail.gmail.com.

[michael fanfa]

Thank you for all the replies, I do not know for sure who, but I have a bully of a neighbor which I suspect. He has never said anything to me except once to dowse the smoke and I did.

I am waiting to chat with the one person at the office, a Maldonado, who is off today.

Cheers,

Michael

[J R]

I would like to ask that great sheriff a simple question : in the Alameda County :

- How many people have been killed 

- How may people have been rapped by bees 

- How many people have been assaulted by bees

- How mang home invasion

By bees

- How many robberies by bees 

- How many burglaries by bees

- How many carjacking by bees

- How many stolen car by bees

- How many theft by bees

- How many shoplifting by bees 

- How many streets / roads vandalized by bees

- How many catatalyst convertor stolen by bees 

- How many cases of domestic violence by bees 

- How many cases child abuse by bees 

- How many convictions to bees 

ahhh by here we are touching a sour note !

the guy from which you take order is a convicted felon not once but 34 times, additionally there mounting evidence pointing to pedophilia . Never mind the financial fraud as no one can get a hold of his taxes u less all his predecessors .

-Bees or Beekeeper are not criminals , they also make it possible to polinate the majority of food you eat ! 

- want to

Earn money ? Instead of taxing a handfull pf people , open your books so we the Alameda county taxpayers can see were our taxes are going .

Your regulation does not have any logic , you cannot control

The fly path of the bees some have been known to fly over 7 miles should we glue on them a licence plate and gps .

Do bee sting YES , by vast majority it is the fault of the people who get sting as bee die when they do so !

-However the vast majority of so called bee sting come from other insect which look exactely like bee with one noticeable difference their nody is blavk and yellow.

But for you and these peoples it fly , buzz , sting ! It is a bee ! 

No wonder Crime in Alameda County is at an all time high you can’ differentiate between a criminal and an honest person !

On Sep 9, 2025, at 10:41 AM, Robin Chatham <angel202...@gmail.com> wrote:



It appears to be a template letter from which you extract what applies to you.

It says you may not keep beehives since your lot is too small. 

The $100 permit does not apply  to you?

Robin Chatham

On Tue, Sep 9, 2025, 10:37 AM Paula Breen <paulae...@gmail.com> wrote:

Oh wow, that's awful. So if this is coming from the county, does that rule supercede any local ordinance? I know San Leandro has its own specific rules, and I wonder whose rules apply when the town and the county don't jive. Does Castro Valley have any specific rules? 

On Tue, Sep 9, 2025, 10:34 AM Rob Mathews, 2025 ACBA President <r...@tigertech.com> wrote:

(I'm posting this on behalf of Michael Fanfa, because Google Groups was giving some trouble with the images.)

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Good evening felllow beekeepers,
Michael Fanfa here,
I hope everyone is well today. Bad news for me today. I received a letter from AC Sheriff Office today. See three attachments.
The other attachment is the registration of my hive which obviously has no bearing. Does anyone have any experience in this matter?
It looks like since I only have .11 acre lot and not a full acre, merely paying the $100 will not let me keep my hive.
I will call them tomorrow, for now I am hoping for some workable options to converse with them about.
Any help will be appreciated,
Sincerely,
Michael Fanfa

<resident letter bees.jpg>

<resident bee rules.jpg>

<animal fancier permits 1.jpg>

<animal fancier permits 2.jpg>

<animal fancier permits 3.jpg>

<BeekeeperRegistration2025.png>

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[andrew....@comcast.net]

From personal experience, once this thread has been pulled, there is nothing you can do to stop it from unraveling.  All it takes is an, "Is that legal?" inquiry from anyone, not even an actual "Complaint" from someone who finds them to be a nuisance.  The Sheriff's only option is to send the letter and enforce the law.  It is also their path of least effort (and most revenue), so it is practically inescapable.  Your only option is to relocate the hives. 

Many years ago a similar "inquiry" to the city was made by my HOA.  The HOA has no rules against keeping bees, but they frequently "make inquires with the city" about things they have no control over, attempting to keep their hands clean. 

Luckily I had prepared for just such a petty attack from my HOA. (My immediate neighbors are great, so not them.)  I had my expensive permit up to date, and my yard in order.  The city still sent an armed uniformed officer out to inspect my hives and yard, and to confirm I was in compliance with my permit.   He and I both laughed at the cost and absurdity of it. 

You might be able to avoid the fine, if the hives are relocated ASAP.  It is unlikely they collected any evidence that the boxes existed, were occupied, and were not occupied by only yellow jackets and moths.  Good Luck.

- A - 

[Susan Donahue]

We are talking about unincorporated areas of AC, so they are under different regulations altogether.  Cities and counties all have their own, different language for livestock or animals.   We are in the process with the Animal Control officers and the county council members to craft new language to make beekeeping in unincorporated areas of AC legal.  Hopefully we will have something to celebrate on this soon.

Sue

Virus-free.www.avast.com

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/the-alameda-county-beekeepers-association/a6b475eb-803d-4081-8856-89ad39ebf6fbn%40googlegroups.com.