REGARDING           Attacks on Bee Scientists
 
On 6/20, Andy Nachbaur wrote:
"I have a good reprint on line at the Wild Bee's BBS by ED Zuckerman, one
of the more prolific writers and reporters who was hired to hype the
killer bee's and I am sure no beekeeper has not seen some of his work
over the years. Ed has since had second thoughts about it all and wrote
a magazine article that covers some of the early dirty tricks used by
our American Bee Scientists to cheat the public of their tax dollars and
gain public support for some research that has since been shown to be
of little or of no value."
 
I have not yet seen the reprint referred to here, so these comments may be
premature, but I am becoming quite tired of innuendos like this one aimed at
scientific researchers who put their efforts into study of our favorite
insect, the honeybee.  The purpose of scientific research is not to "hype"
this or that subject (the media does a good enough job of that all on their
own anyhow), or to play dirty tricks on the public, or to cheat the public
out of their tax dollars.  Basic research is just that - research into
gaining a basic understanding of the biology of the honeybee, in this case.
 
Scientists are in their profession because of a love for the acquisition of
new knowledge.  Often this knowledge is of direct help to other people
(beekeepers, for example) and sometimes it is not directly applicable.  In
the latter case, it is nevertheless valuable as archived information, waiting
for some future application or to be built upon by the next generation of
researchers.  How can it be said that research "has been shown" to be of
little or no value?  What limited view of "value" can one here have in mind?
 
I do not personally know many bee scientists, but I do know some.  They are
friends of the beekeepers and our industry, not enemies.  They do their work
honestly and conscientiously, and do not deserve to be defamed.
 
Ted Fischer