15 Apr Thu 2010
Bee Afraid, Bee Very Afraid
Fear of nature is one of the side effects of our media-driven society. How many never fully enjoyed a sojourn into the ocean again after seeing "Jaws"? There are a whole host of "Killer Bee" Movies that have capitalized on spreading fear.....(although I don't believe much residual terror resulted from "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes".1978.) Still, it's a shame how separate from nature many of us have become.
Case in point: One of our hives swarmed over the winter, creating a beautiful , natural colony in a tree above the hive. It was gorgeous, many lobed, golden, and buzzing. They survived the unseasonable freezes of our Florida winter, pelting rain, strong winds....the bees prevailed and prospered.
But our neighbor was worried about weed wacking and tree trimming in the back corner of her yard closest to the swarm. We understand that! Not everybody shares our love of bees! We offered to do it for her. We explained that her flowers and trees were enjoying the pollination services of our bees and greater fruit yields would result....
Still, fear prevailed.... She wants us to move our hives as well.
So to be compliant and a good neighbor we said we'd remove the swarm. Next day, Steve dropped by and when I went out to see him, I spotted him 30 feet high straddling the trunk of the tree.
I asked if I should get a trash can and lid so that when he cuts down the swarm it could land in the trash can and then we could safely put them into any empty hive body.
No, he said, he just needs to destroy the colony....and before I could bat an eye he took out a can of spray from his pocket and began spraying those beautiful bees. I had to go inside....I really couldn't watch. The colony now sits, Splat! on the ground, empty and lifeless. Those bees were up so high they were never a threat to anyone....
And it's nobody's fault, really....It's just a basic fear factor and a species that gets bad press. (Snakes get the same bad rap. For the few poisonous varieties systemic societal fear results. Yet no one complains when the snakes clean up the local rat population, etc.)
I do wish for a day when media hype has less influence than practical education...when the facts are considered and balanced conclusions are reached. Real risks should be assessed and acted upon to avoid negative outcomes....but where no real risk exists, it's the fear that should be exterminated....