Agenda Item # 11.1 - Sara Cutrignelli | Received 11/21/2022CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening
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From:Sara Cutrignelli
To:City Clerk
Subject:EXTERNAL - Item 11.1 Urban Beekeeping w/in Gilroy City Limits
Date:Sunday, November 20, 2022 9:22:14 PM
To City Council Members and Mayor of the City of Gilroy,
I am writing to ask you to allow urban beekeeping within the city limits.
Honey bees are essential to our crop pollination, urban gardening, and landscape pollination.
Pollination encourages trees, flowers, and other plants to grow and entice other native
pollinators. By allowing urban beekeeping, we are helping increase and sustain
their population so that they can continue to aid our crops and gardens. It has also been proven
that the survival rate of honey bees in urban areas is higher than in other areas due to the rich
diversity of resources.
There is a misconception that higher honeybee populations will overshadow and drive out
other types of pollinators, however, all pollinators visit a variety of different flora completely
of their own accord. Much like the way we all have different tastes in food, pollinators all
crave different plants and nectar. There is no direct competition. The larger concern, in this
case, is that these same pollinators are dying off at a higher rate in rural areas because of the
monoculture of crops and pesticides. Urban beekeeping brings diversity and higher
survivability for all pollinators. Backyard beekeeping will also not attract large pests such as
skunks, bears, and raccoons, especially in an area where these animals are not frequent
visitors.
Although I strongly support the total allowance of urban beekeeping, I am also in favor of
regulations regarding this, as many other cities have a limit of two beehives per parcel, for
example. There already are regulations in different cities that focus on the behavior of
temperamental bee colonies. In San Diego, there is a mandatory "re-queening" every year for
beekeepers. This means that every hive is introduced to a new queen to prevent "overly-
defensive" hives that may become aggressive toward their handlers and neighboring creatures.
Hives that fail to respond to re-queening will then be humanely euthanized to prevent any
further aggression, much like one would do with dangerous dogs. Regulations like this are
beneficial and keep both beekeepers' and the community's interest.
Bees must also be registered, with BeeWhere and our local Ag Departments.
It is also my understanding that the city of Gilroy does not have a completed Climate Action
Plan, had this been completed, beekeeping would normally fall under this plan. Bees
notwithstanding, I strongly encourage every city to have a completed Climate Action Plan for
the sake of their natural environment's sustainability.
Finally, urban beekeeping actually connects citizens to nature. We get to witness firsthand
their importance and work together to sustain them.
Sara Cutrignelli
Master BeekeeperMentor, Education Outreach, Swarm Removal
408-968-1027
CutrignelliFattoria@gmail.com
CutrignelliFattoriaApiaries.com
FaceBook and Instagram: Cutrignelli Fattoria Apiaries
Bee Warning Reminder: We work with live honey bees. Honey bees are stinging
insects and while most stings do not require medical attention, a small portion of the
human population can develop a life threatening allergy. If stung, immediately
remove the stinger by scraping it off and wash the area to remove alarm pheromone.
If you experience shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or any other serious
symptoms, immediately seek medical attention. **From California Master Beekeepers Program, UC Davis