Emily Yeingst keeps four beehives in her Centennial backyard, and she has no plans to take them down.
Her homeowners association, Valley Country Club Estates, imposed a ban on hives that took effect Oct. 22. Yeingst told 9NEWS she will not comply. The dispute pits a beekeeper who says she followed Centennial's own rules against an HOA enforcing a declaration that has governed the neighborhood since 1994.
Yeingst's children gave her a starter hive kit for Mother's Day a few years ago. She eventually grew to four hives. Before setting them up, she said she researched both the city's beekeeping regulations and her HOA's declaration, and found nothing that specifically prohibited bees.
"We felt secure in setting up our bee hives because we complied with the city of Centennial," Yeingst told 9NEWS.
The trouble started when a neighbor complained about yellow jackets in the area and allegedly blamed Yeingst's hives, she said. The HOA fined her twice, in 2024 and 2025, citing two different rules. One fine fell under a "vicious animals" clause. The other cited an "insects" clause, according to Yeingst.
Cori Stewart, a senior counsel with the law firm Moeller Graf who represents the HOA, responded to 9NEWS. Stewart said the association is enforcing Section 6 of its declaration, which has governed the neighborhood since 1994. The declaration allows household pets but prohibits keeping livestock, poultry and insects, including bees, Stewart said, regardless of whether they create a nuisance. However, 9NEWS reported that a clipping of the referenced bylaw Stewart provided did not include specific language addressing bees.
9NEWS reported it was unable to reach The Management Trust, the company that oversees the HOA, or the board president. No response from either party appears in the reporting.
Yeingst pushed for a bylaw amendment to allow backyard bees. The proposed amendment failed. A majority of households that returned ballots voted in favor, but the tally fell short of the supermajority required to change the declaration, according to 9NEWS. Yeingst said a significant number of homes did not return ballots at all.
Centennial allows residential beekeeping under its land development code. The city's regulations set limits on hive box numbers based on lot size and require setbacks of at least 10 feet from interior side and rear property lines. Arapahoe County also permits beekeeping but notes that HOAs can impose stricter rules than the county.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture told 9NEWS that bees would not be considered "insect pests" under state law and that beekeeping decisions are made at the local level.
Yeingst said she hopes future board turnover will give her and her neighbors a chance to reintroduce the amendment.
