A quick postscript to my last post. Would bees be as likely or less
likely to attack a wristwatch that is NOT working? While my eyelash
theory is a bit fanciful, the mammalian eye does move. The eye rotates in
its socket, the pupil dilates and constricts, and the eyelids move back
and forth over the eye's surface. Tear ducts produce fluid similar to
sweat. However, an eye doesn't tick, whir, or vibrate. Some watches do.
Could the bees be attracted to the aqueous, eyelike qualities of a watch
face, but be sufficiently puzzled by the sound of the watch's mechanism
to see it as a threat? Do they confuse the whir and hum of the watch with
the buzz of a predatory insect? One wind up toy attacking another! Some
eyeglasses appear to magnify the human eye when you look at the person
who is wearing them. This might explain why bees appear to be attracted
to eyeglasses. It makes a lot of sense for an angry bee to try to sting a
mammal in the eyes. With two well-placed stings, two tiny insects can
blind a creature a hundred times their size, making it almost impossible
for it to rob their hive. There are many experiments that the amateur
(and professional) scientist could do on this subject without spending a
great deal of money.

Mark