Kill Joy's

From the comments: MLive readers say Auburn beekeeper should be able to keep his bees

Unfortunately around the world you always come across idiots and kill joys who cannot bare to see other people with a good and enjoyable life.
Here in England we have the same, I have an allotment (a large garden that is used to grow vegetables) and I also keep bees. One man complained that he had been stung (could not verify that it was a bee, could have been a wasp) but immediately there was talk about removing the bees. Before it got that far I removed all but one hive. 2 weeks ago I harvested some honey (very poor year) and the same man asked if he could buy some honey off me!!! I had to walk away shaking my head in case I said too much to this idiot. 

  John Bacon of Auburn is a beekeeper and processes honey as a hobby. Bacon says his bees are placid at his home on Elm St. in Auburn Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012. Several residents have complained to the city about being stung and want him to remove the bees.

AUBURN. MI — Readers took to the comments in support of a longtime beekeeper whose hives of honeybees has come under attack.

City officials plan to discuss whether John Bacon, who has maintained colonies of honeybees on his property since 1953, can continue his long-time hobby. The issue will be discussed at the Commission Meeting today at 7 p.m.
Bacon, a World War II prisoner of war, turns 90 this week. He processes honey and other products from bees located on his property and in over hives throughout Bay County. City leaders recently received two complaints from residents who said that they were stung by the bees at Bacon's home on Elm St.
Mayor Lee Kilbourn said that these are the only complaints the city has received concerning the bees since they have been in the city limits, going on 60 years. A majority of Bacon's neighbours said that the bees have never been a problem in the community.

Readers also felt that the complaints are unwarranted.

beeshad: Mr. Bacon is one of the most respected & respectable persons that I have ever met.
He would not harm a flea. If he felt his passion was harm to anyone or anything he would certainly give it up. This man has a sincere heart of gold. I am thinking this person who states that they had been stung 6 times has his bees confused... Please leave Mr. Bacon alone
challenger04: I have walked past Mr. Bacon's house countless times, and I have never had even one bee come near me.
I looked closely at those hives, and it seems to me the bees stay pretty close to the hives. I have never seen any close to the sidewalk.
I challenge Mr. Koski to show his stings, or any medical records. I think he's a busybody. He did get Ms. Bock to join him in harassing Mr. Bacon, who at 90 doesn't need any stress. Mr. Bacon is enjoying the end of his life happily. Leave him alone.
Several readers mentioned that honeybees are important in ecosystems.

Big Dutchman: This story both angered and saddened me. My grandfather was a country doc and raised bees - he'd reach into his hives, which were at his home and cottage, and bring out heavy combs of honey. His arms would be covered with honey bees, and he'd gently brush them off - they wouldn't sting him. Honeybees are critical for pollination, and they've been hurt greatly by the mites that have slashed their numbers. Beekeepers like Mr. Bacon should be supported and encouraged - we need more of them! Mr. Bacon - stay with it!
lineupanyone: I wonder if the neighbour’s have a garden and enjoy the produce from it!!!

dalriata: Bees are necessary for plant pollination. With all the pesticides now bee colonies are collapsing at an alarming rate. It is a lot more significant problem than people outside of agriculture will understand.
Two people out of a whole neighbourhood have a problem. I suggest they get a life and find reality.
Others said that yellow jackets (wasps), not honeybees, typically bug people this time of year.
LadyBuggs: I bet it was yellow jackets and not the honey bees doing the stinging. Those darn wasps are bad. Two years in a row they found a place in my yard to nest. They seem to move to a new place each year. Thank God because neither bee spray nor the bee traps were killing them. It was a waste of money. One year they dug a hole in the concrete bricks in my basement. I thought filling the hole with concrete should trap and suffocate them. Bought some, mixed it, filled in the hole and I'll be darned if they didn't dig their way out before it was dry.
That guy in Auburn that got stung 6 times just needs to wait out the winter and hope those wasps move away next year like mine did. Let the beekeeper keep his bees.
beewoman: If you are stung by an insect and you do not see a thorn like stinger in your skin pumping up and down - then you where NOT stung by a honey bee! Honey bees sacrifice their lives when they sting - they can sting only once- because their stinger is barbed and it stays in your skin and half of their rear end rips off and stays with the stinger. IF you see no stinger to pull out - then you were stung by a wasp or Bumble bee - not a honey bee.

More Bay City News