Examples of sound laws that allow for the practice of urban beekeeping are not rare in the state of Iowa! With a rich agricultural heritage and an understanding of the role pollinators play in our daily lives, many municipalities have made provisions that address large problem areas of code writing, while allowing for beneficial practices to exist. Here are two more examples for today!

Davenport:

8.12.150

Keeping of animals and fowl restricted.

[Ord. 2017-451 § 3; Ord. 2017-46 § 3; prior code § 16-110]

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 6.06 of the Davenport Municipal Code, no person shall collect or keep any horses, mules, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, rabbits or any other animals in any pen, yard or enclosure or place within the built-up portion of the City, or elsewhere so as to create a nuisance.

[Ord. 2017-46 § 3]

Des Moines:

Sec. 18-4. - Agricultural nondomestic animals and exotic animals. 

(a)No horse, cow, calf, swine, sheep, goat, llama, camel, ostrich, peacock, chicken, goose, duck or other agricultural animal or any nondomestic animal shall be kept within the city's corporate limits on any lot or parcel of land unless such parcel of land shall be an acreage, except as provided under subsections (f), (g) and (h) of this section and article IV of this chapter. The area where any such animal is kept on the acreage shall be 75 feet from any neighboring residential dwelling and not located in a front yard area. The keeping of bees in hives is exempted from this section.

As we see above, while these municipal codes address large generators of waste, noise, and disruption, they allow for urban beekeeping. Many would chose to argue species cited within the above restrictions, but it is clear that larger municipalities understand the value of beekeeping! Remember, the hive doesn't serve just the owner, but instead serves the entire community!