Pa. judge says man can keep bees in his back yard

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HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa.—A central Pennsylvania judge says a man can raise bees in his back yard even though his neighbors say the insects stung their dog, which proved allergic to the stings.

Blair County Judge Daniel Milliron ruled Monday, ending a dispute that began in 2007 and prompted a hearing on May 3 at which Regis Nale made his case to keep the bees.

Hollidaysburg officials cited Nale after the neighbors complained, and he was found guilty of violating a property maintenance ordinance which allows the borough to prevent the insect infestation.

Nale argued that the hives he keeps aren't infestations and called a Penn State honeybee expert to testify that his hobby is no more dangerous than having a dog or other kind of pet.

Milliron says the bee expert's testimony was "extremely impressive."

Silence of the Bees

First papers from Dept. of Ag.

Spreading the word about honey bees

Lynn Kimsey left, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor and vice chairwoman of the Department of Entomology, greets A. G. Kawamura, California secretary of agriculture. At right, ready to hand him honey sticks is bee specialist Eric Mussen, also a member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty. (Kathy Keatley Garvey/Courtesy)

Department of Entomology faculty at UC Davis helped spread the word about honey bees at the annual California Agriculture Day, held Tuesday on the state capitol grounds.

Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor and vice chair of the Entomology Department, and Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen, member of the entomology faculty and parliamentarian of the California State Beekeepers' Association, assisted at the CSBA beekeeping booth.

Bees pollinate one-third of the American diet, including fruits, vegetables and almonds, and without bees, there would be no agriculture day, they said.

Brian Fishback of Wilton, president of the Sacramento Beekeepers' Association, explained the bee observation hive to visitors, who viewed life inside a colony and could, with Fishback's help, single out the queen bee, workers and drones. Five-year-old Cristian De La Rosa of Sacramento watched wide-eyed. "He really likes the bees," his mother said. "He's fascinated by them."

The annual event drew dozens of booths and thousands of visitors, including legislators, farmers, growers, 4-H'ers, FFA members and urban residents.

Kimsey and Mussen helped hand out 2600 free honey bee sticks, along with honey bee fact sheets and pollination information and answered questions from the public.

The entomologist and apiculturist met briefly with A. G. Kawamura, California secretary of agriculture in the morning. Later that afternoon, Gov. Arnold

Schwarzenegger, accompanied by Kawamura, stopped at the beekeepers' booth to admire the bee observation booth.

In his youth, Kawamura kept bees but was troubled by a bee disease, American foulbrood.

Crystal Hubbard of Häagen-Dazs, working in the CBSA booth, handed out 1500 free servings of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Some 40 percent of the ice cream brand's flavors depend on honey bee pollination, she said. Häagen-Dazs funds UC Davis bee research, including the work of Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Research Postdoctoral Scholar Michelle Flenniken, and two bee friendly gardens, the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven and Campus Buzzway, planted last year at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis.

Another visitor was Val Dolcini, state executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a former Davis resident. His family settled in Davis in 1860.

The event, coordinated by the California Department of Agriculture with the California Women for Agriculture and the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, recognizes California's agriculture community by showcasing scores of commodities produced in the state.

It's was also a day for the agricultural community to show its appreciation of Californians by bringing together state legislators, government leaders and the public for a half day of ag education and healthy treats, according to CDFA spokesman Steve Lyle.

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