Your Best Elevator Pitch

[Country Heart]

As a newbie, I am just starting to talk to people, and specifically my neighbors, about my new found enchantment with bees.  I want to be sure to say the right things, as it looks like I may have to get approval from some of them in order to keep bees.

What are your best talking points in selling your neighbors on your beekeeping hobby?
I'm looking to come up with a great elevator pitch.   

[Michael Bush]

In my experience you can't possibly communicate how little effect it will have on them.  They simply cannot imagine it.  I never tell them and by the time they figure out I have bees I've had them there for a year, usually, and all the horrible things they would have imagined have already NOT happened...

[Country Heart]

I wish I could go that route.  Unfortunately my city has some very specific rules that apply.

[AliciaH]

It might help if you could give us an idea of why you need their approval.  Do the rules state that you have to have the approval of neighbors that share property boundaries?  Or is the approval you are seeking coming from a home owners association?  Each of those calls for a different slant.

[Country Heart]

I'm in a suburb and the city rules require written neighbor approval. 

[AliciaH]

Written approval?  Wow!  Okay then, I would start by considering the benefit to their gardens, though most people know that better pollination will be beneficial, you might provide some statistics for your gardening neighbors of what percentage garden yield they might expect if you have bees. 

I would then move on to calming what their concerns might be.  Concerns include flight paths (so explain how you will train bees to go up and over), water collection (how you will provide water supplies in your own yard), whether or not the bees will react to them mowing their lawns and attack them (unless the hive is being directly threatened, not the way of the bee), swarming (explain the docility of swarms and how to contact you if they see one and promise to be there right away or send someone right away).

And anything else you can think of.  I think it assures people if you have an immediate answer for all their questions.  It's when you come across as unsure that people let their own fears get out of hand.

And don't forget the old fashioned method of bribing.  A small share of any honey collected to those you needed written approval from is always nice.  You can even provide a sample to them from another beekeeper now to provide an example of future harvests.

Good luck!

[Country Heart]

Thanks so much for your ideas.