Latest news with #SarahMurray
BBC News
23-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Worcester beehives removed after residents plagued by swarms
More than 20 beehives have been removed from the back garden of a house in Worcester after residents complained they were being repeatedly stung and could not open windows or go City Council said a team had quickly investigated the matter and the hives had been removed, without any formal action being in Corfe Avenue, in the Warndon Villages area of the city, told the BBC this week their lives had been made a "misery" by the swarming creatures and tradespeople were staying away because of fears of being problem had been traced to a property with several apartments rented to tenants. The BBC approached the owner but they have not responded. City councillor Sarah Murray had claimed there were 21 hives in the back garden that were unmanaged and she estimated they could contain up to one million Friday, a spokesman for Worcester City Council said: "After being alerted to the situation Worcestershire Regulatory Services, acting on behalf of the City Council, quickly investigated the matter."This has resulted in the beehives being removed from the property, without any formal action being required." Residents had told the BBC the problem had developed over years and one woman, who gave her name as Julie, said she had kept videos and a photo diary of the swarms "for the last couple of years".Murray also said the issue had "gone well beyond a private matter" as she called for said families, pets and workers were being stung, residents were unable to open windows and home maintenance had been also raised concerns over the environmental impact because honeybees in excessive numbers could outcompete bumblebees, solitary bees and butterflies. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Metro
19-05-2025
- Health
- Metro
‘Millions of bees have swarmed our street – it's like a scene from a horror film'
People living in a Worcester suburb are fearful of leaving their homes in the summer due to a swarm of more than a million bees. Homeowners along Corfe Avenue, in Warndon, Worcester, say they are attacked and stung by the 'aggressive' for up to six months per year. Some refuse to leave their homes, and others have experienced monsoons of bees flooding their living rooms through their chimneys. The cause? A landlord on the street who allegedly keeps 21 hives in a garden of his rented property. Neighbours claim the issue has been going on for more than a decade and has got progressively worse. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said the swarms of what is believed to be over a million bees were like 'living in a horror film'. 'You're literally stuck in your homes on some days when they swarm in big numbers – it's just not worth the risk going out. 'Our doors and windows are shut tight, but they can still get down chimneys.. It's like something from a horror film. Like the Candyman or something,' she said. Another resident, who wished not to be named out of fear of repercussions, said: 'I am on the alert all the time and I haven't sat in my garden since Covid. He probably first got the hives around 15 years ago, but he was living there then. 'Since then, he moved out and they have just been left completely unmanaged, and the problem has got progressively worse. We're not bee haters, but we can't live a normal life. I have been stung multiple times.' The resident also said workmen have refused to come to the street after learning about the bees. 'They are aggressive bees. Some drop dead on our patios, so I don't know if they are diseased or what, but they certainly aren't looked after,' she added. Another resident said: 'When it happened to me, in two weeks a colony grew to a meter long and there were around 40,000 to 60,000 bees in my chimney. 'It was like torrential rain – a monsoon – entering my living room. It was horrible. We do not want to harm the bees, but this is excessive and it is getting worse.' There is currently no law that regulates the number of hives a person can keep in a garden, even if it is in a heavily residential area. It has led local councillor Sarah Murray and John Rudge, from Worcester City Council, to call for an urgent reassessment of the laws. Cllr Murray said: 'This has gone well beyond a private matter. We have families, pets, and workers being stung, residents unable to open their windows, and basic home maintenance being disrupted. 'One resident was quoted £8,000 to have a swarm removed and contacted me asking for help. The problem has continued, and I have had multiple complaints from multiple people about residents being stung in their gardens. 'The person responsible for those bees is not managing them, so we are getting these swarms and angry bees who are stinging people. We need to do something about it.' Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) is reportedly reviewing its laws and regulations, and Cllr Murray is calling for a formal site inspection, a review under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the possible use of a Community Protection Notice. Worcestershire Regulatory Services said it is a private matter and the household's responsibility, but the council could use an abatement notice legal instruction issued by a local authority, to address a statutory nuisance and address the issue. A Worcester City Council spokesperson said: 'Worcestershire Regulatory Services is investigating the complaint on behalf of the city council. It is not appropriate to comment further at this time.' Martyn Cracknell, president of the Worcestershire Beekeepers Association, said bees swarm naturally as part of colony reproduction. When a colony reaches its population limit, the old queen bee leaves with a portion of her workers to establish a new hive in a different location. However, this tends to be a stone's throw away from the former hive. But Mr Cracknell said it is the beekeeper's responsibility to recognise this process and prevent a swarm by moving the Queen and her workers to a new hive.
Metro
19-05-2025
- Health
- Metro
Street trapped in their homes by 1,000,000 bees 'kept in neighbour's 21 hives'
Residents in a Worcester suburb are fearful of leaving their homes in the summer due to a swarm of more than a million bees which invade their street. Homeowners along Corfe Avenue, in Warndon, Worcester, say they are attacked and stung by the 'aggressive' for up to six months per year. Some refuse to leave their homes, and others have experienced monsoons of bees flooding their living rooms through their chimneys. The cause? A landlord on the street who allegedly keeps 21 hives in a garden of his rented property. Residents are fed up – they claim the issue has been going on for more than a decade, but has got progressively worse. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said the swarms of what is believed to be over a million bees were like 'living in a horror film'. 'You're literally stuck in your homes on some days when they swarm in big numbers – it's just not worth the risk going out. 'Our doors and windows are shut tight, but they can still get down chimneys.. It's like something from a horror film. Like the Candyman or something,' she said. Another resident, who wished not to be named out of fear of repercussions, said: 'I am on the alert all the time and I haven't sat in my garden since Covid. He probably first got the hives around 15 years ago, but he was living there then. 'Since then, he moved out and they have just been left completely unmanaged, and the problem has got progressively worse. We're not bee haters, but we can't live a normal life. I have been stung multiple times.' The resident also said workmen have refused to come to the street after learning about the bees. 'They are aggressive bees. Some drop dead on our patios, so I don't know if they are diseased or what, but they certainly aren't looked after,' she added. Another resident said: 'When it happened to me, in two weeks a colony grew to a meter long and there were around 40,000 to 60,000 bees in my chimney. 'It was like torrential rain – a monsoon – entering my living room. It was horrible. We do not want to harm the bees, but this is excessive and it is getting worse.' There is currently no law that regulates the number of hives a person can keep in a garden, even if it is in a heavily residential area. It has led local councillor Sarah Murray and John Rudge, from Worcester City Council, to call for an urgent reassessment of the laws. Cllr Murray said: 'This has gone well beyond a private matter. We have families, pets, and workers being stung, residents unable to open their windows, and basic home maintenance being disrupted. 'One resident was quoted £8,000 to have a swarm removed and contacted me asking for help. The problem has continued, and I have had multiple complaints from multiple people about residents being stung in their gardens. 'The person responsible for those bees is not managing them, so we are getting these swarms and angry bees who are stinging people. We need to do something about it.' Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) is reportedly reviewing its laws and regulations, and Cllr Murray is calling for a formal site inspection, a review under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the possible use of a Community Protection Notice. Worcestershire Regulatory Services said it is a private matter and the household's responsibility, but the council could use an abatement notice legal instruction issued by a local authority, to address a statutory nuisance and address the issue. A Worcester City Council spokesperson said: 'Worcestershire Regulatory Services is investigating the complaint on behalf of the city council. It is not appropriate to comment further at this time.' More Trending Martyn Cracknell, president of the Worcestershire Beekeepers Association, said bees swarm naturally as part of colony reproduction. When a colony reaches its population limit, the old queen bee leaves with a portion of her workers to establish a new hive in a different location. However, this tends to be a stone's throw away from the former hive. But Mr Cracknell said it is the beekeeper's responsibility to recognise this process and prevent a swarm by moving the Queen and her workers to a new hive. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Heineken to invest £40,000,000 to reopen dozens of pubs and create 1,000 jobs
CBC
22-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Yukon gov't, with NDP support, introduces new Residential Tenancies Act
The Yukon government has introduced a new law that aims "to create a fair balance between tenants and landlords" and replace the former Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The new bill — the Residential Tenancies Act — enshrines rent control, requires landlords to provide a specific reason for ending a lease, and sets out distinct rules for mobile homes, among other changes. "This bill ... is a delicate and deliberate balance of stability, transparency, and reasonableness to guide landlord and tenant relationships in the Yukon," said Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn. The act would also allow tenants to end leases when their safety is at risk or if they need to move into long-term care. It also, for the first time, allows and regulates deposits for pet owners. The idea behind that provision, said government policy analyst Sarah Murray, is to encourage more landlords to allow pet ownership in their units. "One of the key issues that we heard from people is that the lack of pet-friendly rentals is one of the big issues in the Yukon," she said. Lars Hartling, president of the Yukon Residential Landlord Association, said he welcomes the new bill. But he still wants the government to get rid of rent caps. "Rent caps are arguably a bit of slamming on the brakes for investment into the Yukon," he said. "When this act is in place, it's going to be in place for a long time." That's a concern echoed by Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon, who's on record saying landlords should be able to charge whatever they want. But he also said the rent control provision, which was introduced as an NDP demand in the confidence and supply agreement (CASA) with the government, was clearly meant as a temporary pandemic measure. He said the government risks driving out private-sector investment in rental properties. "I think that the intentions behind these policies are good intentions," Dixon said during debate on the bill Wednesday. "I think that it's meant to be an effective policy, but I don't think that the outcome shows us, here in the Yukon or around the world, that it is indeed an effective policy." NDP Leader Kate White said the bill also requires landlords to offer right of first refusal for tenants who are forced out due to renovations. "If a landlord has not chosen to keep up with required repairs to keep a building meeting the health and safety standards, that's not a tenant's problem," she said. "I think that evicting someone for those reasons is unfair." The bill is now before the legislature's committee of the whole.
