Believe it or not, it is illegal to keep bees in New York City, and one lawmaker is trying to change that rule. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report on the city's underground beekeeping scene.

Tens of thousands of honeybees live secret lives, stashed away on city rooftops or tucked away in community gardens.

New York City officially makes beekeeping illegal, but this illicit scene may soon be allowed to operate above the radar.

"You don't think of New York City as a farm town, and it isn't, but there are people out there who are producing food, and in particular, honey," says Brooklyn City Councilman David Yassky.

Yassky has introduced a bill in the City Council that would legalize beekeeping and require beekeepers to obtain a special license.

"There are a lot of people that would like to do this but don't because they don't want to be outlaws," says Yassky.

Those in the know are able to sample the illegal fare throughout the city.

Andrew Cote of the New York City Beekeeper Association sells New York City-produced honey - but keeps it hidden behind the counter of his Union Square stand.

And just how does this local sweetener taste?

"Spectacular, fabulous. Heaven on a spoon, or on a finger, depends on how you want to consume it," says Cote.

And if beekeeping is legalized in New York City, there will be a lot more hives appearing on rooftops.

In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, beekeeper John Howe says he'll have about 120,000 bees in his hives by summer, producing 120 pounds of honey.

"I first got interested in bees because of the romance of it. And honey, just the love of honey," says Howe.

There doesn't seem to be an organized opposition to the bill - at least, not just yet.

The most likely group to mount a challenge are New Yorkers with severe bee allergies.

Beekeepers do have some basic tips for those afraid of stings.

"Don't kick the hive. That's my advice, don't kick the hive," says beekeeper Jim Fischer. "Really, if you don't kick the hive, they'll fly off and do their business. They don't have any interest in you."

Yassky has faced ridicule from some of his colleagues over the proposal. But he says once he explains that legalizing this small industry will help it transform into a bigger one, City Council members start to come around.