BEES IN FAIRLIE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12842, 27 November 1905, Page 7

BEES IN FAIRLIE.

To the Editor of tlip Timaru Herald." Sir,—ln the little village of Fairlie there is a bee farm. In a small garden in the middle of the township may be seen the bee hives, standing so close together as to make one wonder how the bees know their own domiciles on returning froin their da£*s outings. I am not a. bee-keeper but- I that from one hive, four during the season; how many go off from this garden I do not know, but all summer the air is full of the hum of swarming bees. If the insects attended strictly to the business of swarming, • inoffensive passersby would be content to admire their busv industry, but, unfortunately they constantly pursue and settle on, people passing along the road and sting them more or less severely. The local medical man has had several cases more or less serious to attend to through stings. A man, a day or two ago, was stung on the eye, a lady was stung' on the nose; the diniDg room of the hotel has been cleared of its occupants; the horses in the adjoining stable yard have had to be taken out-; and generally these bees cause great annoyalnce. Can .you suggest a, .reniedvj not for the stings, but for the ; situalabn.. The beekeeper, a most estimable man* seeins unable to realist that his""bees" would hurt, any body, or any tiling. He moves unharmed amongst swatming myriads^ The County Council:-can ; deal- with, sheep, or dogs, *br pigs, orchards, '- or ■cattle, but they do not-seem to thiilk bees are exactly in their department; ..-Meanwhile the annoyance is Teal -and-at times the street is practically "no thoroughfare" owing to thel bees. . If the councillors would inspect the locality on any warm summer day . the ;probabilities'" aire that the bees would' cause them to leave more or less quickly,- knil", perhaps,' they would then class bees with pigs,' and consign both styes and ~ bees to a- distance from the public streets. - • I am, etc., STING.