ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) — To bee or not to bee?
Honey bee advocates in Ashland, Ore., the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, want the City Council to consider whether ’tis better to risk the stings of backyard honey bees by allowing more hives in the city limits.
The Daily Tidings reports (http://bit.ly/GTDVGE) the council is set in April to take up whether to loosen restrictions on backyard chickens, and that has prompted some people to suggest the same sort of welcome should be afforded honey bees.
Current city rules require bee hives be at least 150 feet away from a street, sidewalk, or neighboring residence.
Sarah Red-Laird, executive director of the beekeeping education service Bee Girl, suggests the city drop the buffer requirement and leave it to bee experts to educate the public.
