Killer bee corrections
Dear
HCN,
As a commercial, sideline
and hobbyist beekeeper (at different times in my life) for 30
years, it was interesting to see HCN cover the
Africanized bee story (HCN, 6/24/02). Unfortunately, you did not
cover it well. Let me try to indicate why I say this with quotes
from your story and responses concerning bees.
“In a half whisper, trying not to trigger the
bees.” This was a dramatic picture, but certainly your bee
exterminator should have known that bees are totally stone-deaf.
You could have a rock band with you and the bees wouldn’t hear you.
“They are a tremendously intelligent animal.”
This is a quote from your exterminator. I am sure it makes him feel
much more intelligent. I love bees dearly but they work exclusively
on instinct and not anything resembling
intelligence.
“… the venom attacks nerves and
blood cells, flooding your bloodstream with crud.” What exactly is
“crud”? In fact, the quantity of venom is so small that these
effects are insignificant.
“It’s been predicted
that killer bees will eventually spread through much of the
temperate habitat in the nation, including up the West Coast to
Portland and Seattle.” The most reliable and informed predictions
at the present do not include Portland or Seattle as areas for
Africanized bees and certainly do not include most of the temperate
habitat in the nation.
“I watch one stinging my
black leather camera strap … and listen to its high-pitched song,
until it gives up the stinger and falls into the dirt.” This was so
dramatic I felt it tug at my heartstrings. However, in 30 years of
beekeeping, I have never seen a bee die immediately after stinging.
Bees live for literally hours after they sting (although they die
eventually after stinging). Was Mr. Ring giving us an imaginary but
dramatic ending? How much of the rest of his article is imaginary?
This story, filled with misinformation and
mythology, was a disappointment. Mr. Ring should have learned
something about bees before writing it. There were snippets of
important information such as the effect on pollination and native
pollinators, changes in the bee industry, tourism, etc. But they
were hard to find in the “crud.”
Chuck HuntEugene, Oregon
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Killer bee corrections.
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