I was searching the Internet for bee-related stories and came across an article in the Seymour (Indiana) Tribune that I thought I would share. It is a classic example of misconceptions and incorrect stereotyping of bees leading to baseless fears and pointless effort from all involved. The opening paragraphs and the URL are pasted in below. The only beacon of sanity was the local beekeeper, of course.
After the article there was a response form via which readers can submit comments. I did. Maybe others on Bee-L might like to as well.
Matthew
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Bee situation has homeowner buzzing mad
By CLINT MORGAN; September 15, 2003
Full article in The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana), at: http://www.tribtown.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=7885
There are people who are allergic to bees. There are people who are scared of bees. And then there is Shannon Skaggs.
Skaggs, a Seymour resident who lives at 725 Noble St., discovered early this spring just what dealing with bees is all about. The Skaggs family discovered in April that there were an estimated 50,000 honeybees living in a hollowed out maple tree in their front yard.
The problem presented itself after a massive swarm of bees crowded their neighborhood streets and threatened to wreak havoc on anyone who stepped outside. Luckily for the family and those around them, no one was injured or stung. In fact, even now, five months after the initial discovery, no one has been stung by the bees. But that doesn’t lessen the problem in Skaggs’ mind.
“It’s dangerous for everyone around here, and we have been trying to get rid of the problem, but it’s been so hard to get help,” Skaggs said
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Matthew Shepherd, Pollinator Conservation Program Director
The Xerces Society
4828 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215, USA
Tel: 503-232 6639 Fax: 503-233 6794
Email: [log in to unmask]
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The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to protecting the diversity of life
through the conservation of invertebrates.
For information and membership details,
see our website at www.xerces.org
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-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info ---
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