I find myself wondering when Mr. Jennings began to suffer from heart attack
symptoms - before or after the colony became excessively aggressive toward
him?

Most of us have experienced a colony that was so temperamental just about
anything sets them off.  We've also observed that a fearful person opening
a colony of bees is more apt to set them off than a person with no fear.
While some of this is (often) inexperienced handling of the frames, I've
observed colonies that I know to be gentle in a heightened/agitated state
the minute I allow a neophyte to open them.

How do bees identify this fear?  Do they sense the physiological changes
the body goes through?  Rapid heartbeat?  Increased perspiration?  Why
would bees be responsive/reactive to a person's fear?  Are these same
physical symptoms associated with excitement - like a predator might
exhibit when about to have a lunch of honey &/or brood?  Has anyone ever
researched this?

Aren't the symptoms of heart attack similar (externally) to the "symptoms"
of fear and excitement?  Could Mr. Jennings have been attacked because he
had an arrhythmic heart (he'd had a heart attack 2 weeks prior to this
incident), and having to cope with an aggressive hive pushed him to another
heart attack?

The doctor in the article Bill quoted speculated that the "stress of the
situation" likely contributed to Mr. Jenning's heart attack.  I find myself
wondering if the strain of lifting (especially this honey filled time of
year) set both Mr. Jenning's heart and the bees off...  Or maybe the
adrenaline from one early sting set his heart off and agitated the bees?

Kathy
also still wondering about the chicken and the egg...


Bill Truesdell wrote:

> "There is no evidence that his death is in any way related to being
> stung by bees," Associate Medical Examiner Arkady
> Katsnelson said in a statement. "The stingers seen on his face are most
> likely from being stung after he died from his
> dysrhythmia, probably aggravated by the stress of the situation."
>