Official News page 6

REAL LIFE NEWS: THE BEES OF WAR

by Hazed

Guard dogs are so old hat. It's time to look at other members of the animal kingdom that could do the job.

Geese are supposed to make excellent guards, because they kick up a fuss when strangers approach. Supervillains may favor man-eating tigers, or perhaps a moat filled with sharks.

Now the people running a heritage park in Wales are planning to use bees to guard their property, as a deterrent against vandals. They need a sustainable way to protect old mill buildings at Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, near Holywell, Flintshire.

Last summer an area around Greenfield Mill had to close because it was in a dangerous condition, suffering both from age and also vandal attacks. They plan to erect fences around the mill but a spokesperson pointed out that it's difficult to deter people who are determined to get into buildings, given that the site itself has free access to the public.

And so they are pondering putting bees onto the land. This would have the added bonus of pollinating the wildflowers in the area, not to mention producing honey. Presumably they assume that the bees would sting anyone who comes too close to their hives.

Of course, if bees really were any good at security we wouldn't be able to steal their honey. Still, its a novel way to deal with those who don't beehive themselves - tell them to buzz off! (Groan!)

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-16645223

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