Bee-have or you can buzz off!
AN allotment owner has been stung with a prosecution threat after complaints that her insects were not bee-having themselves.
Sarah Bacon was dealt the abatement notice by Derby City Council over the four beehives she keeps at Merrill Way allotments in Shelton Lock.
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Ms Bacon at her allotment
It came after the allotment association complained to the council that the 64-year-old's insects were stinging people and causing a nuisance.
The document says Ms Bacon has to remove the hives if she does not alter her beekeeping methods to keep the buzzing critters under control. Failure to comply could result in prosecution.
But Ms Bacon, of Highgrove Drive, Chellaston, said she was adhering to beekeeping rules.
She said: "I have had the bees at the allotment for years now.
"When I first joined I was on the allotment committee and there were no complaints about them.
"Two years ago the committee changed and I was not on it. That was when the complaints started. I have been threatened with eviction." She also said that her hives are screened off and inspected weekly by Government inspectors from the National Bee Unit, run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
But Derek Chadwick, secretary of the Merrill Way Allotment Association, said he believed the screens were not tall enough.
He said: "The barrier that she has at the moment is not enough. It only covers one side and the bees are getting out.
"They have stung several people. I have been stung once.
"The hives are in a bad position. It might be better if they were in a corner but they are near several lots."
A city council spokesman said the authority would monitor Ms Bacon's beehives with the help of the allotment association, to see if Ms Bacon had implemented satisfactory changes.
He said: "We are not insisting at this stage that she removes the hives altogether but we have asked that she keeps them according to the National Beekeepers' Association guidelines.
"If she fails to meet these requirements then the council can take action against her.
"The council is aware of the importance of bees as an essential part of our natural environment and is currently looking at how other authorities deal with bee hives in allotments to see if we can learn how best to manage them here in Derby.
"Ms Bacon can appeal against the abatement notice within 21 days."
9 Comments
by Dragon, Derby
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 3:50PM
“No doubt in time the council will HIVE off this to private industry.
Clampers were seen earlier today making a bee line to the allotments from Crompton Street and attempting to clamp the bees wings and charge £125 release fee. When asked to justify this they swore the bees had "flown over a white line".”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 3:14PM
“UPDATE:
Having seen the opportunity to introduce further misery to the residents of Derby, Cllr Lucy Carenought has this afternoon sanctioned a dedicated 24 hour route for the winged terrors to ensure they can efficiently get in and out of the hives with no difficulties.
All other fee-paying allotment users will now be crammed into two restricted passages through the patches and will be fined should they wander into the new Buzz Lane.
The 7,482 residents of Shelton Lock signed an E-Petition against the new Buzz Lane but, as only one person actually wrote in, it was deemed to be "in the public interest" and indeed sanctioned by the neighbours.”
by Chris, Belper
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 3:14PM
“They will probably be served with a bee-straining order first, Dragon.”
by Dragon, Derby
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 11:52AM
“You couldn't make it up!!
Rams Fan, Oakwood
Sadly they didnt make it up. I checked, it's not April 1st.
We really do have people running allotments who say that "the bees have got out".
What next? Will the council serve any bee caught low flying over the allotments with it's own little ASBO ? (or should that be an ASBEE?)
"The coucil is going to monitor the beehives" ? Do they really have money to waste on this? I thionk we could all suggest much better ways to spend ratepayer's money.”
by John, Derby
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 11:26AM
“Obviously, someone has a bee in their bonnet about this topic. :-)”
by Judge, Derby
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 10:43AM
“Is there any proof that it's this lady's bees who are responsible for any alleged stings?!?”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 10:24AM
“It beggars belief that the very people who one might suppose would embrace nature in all it's forms are the ones protesting in this ridiculous manner.
Bees stinging? In other news, it is reported moths have been gathering around lights in the Shelton Lock area whilst worms have been tunneling below the allotment keeper's very feet.
You couldn't make it up!!”
by Dragon, Derby
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 10:04AM
“Bees are a vital part of the cucle of life. Without them nothing gets pollinated. There is a shortage of bees for reasons the scientists dont fully understand, but, if bees continue to disappear it could be a disaster.
"Derek Chadwick, secretary of the Merrill Way Allotment Association, said .......the bees are getting out."
Is this man for real? What dores he expect bees to do? They fly, they pollinate plants, you dont keep them in a cage.”
by Victoria, Derby
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 9:40AM
“I have a plot on the Firs Estate Allotments; I am also on the committee. We have a very successfull Bee keeper on our site, I had my first Bee sting on Easter Sunday, yet not of a Honey Bee from a huge Bumble Bee, and I don¿t believe we have had any complaints about our Bees.
I always believed Honey bees rarely sting unless they feel threatened?”