ST. GEORGE (AP) — A farming family won't be forced to remove 40 bee colonies that have drawn complaints from neighbors.

Paula Houston, St. George's deputy city attorney, says there wasn't enough evidence to pursue complaints from neighbors that the bees were congregating around pools, fountains and other water sources.

The bees help pollinate a 15-acre alfalfa field, which is about 300 yards away from a large subdivision.

Homeowners in the area could still file a civil lawsuit.

Matt Hargreaves, a Utah Farm Bureau spokesman, says a bill that failed to get approval in the 2008 Legislature would have made it difficult for neighbors to sue over the sights and smells of a farming operation.