Beekeepers Offer Alternative to Honey Bee Extermination

A recent email forward is on my mind - maybe you received it, too. It was a pictorial of how one grill owner took back his barbecue from the honey bees that set up residence there. A series of captioned images recorded the event step-by-step: the scene (the patio grill), the weapon and delivery system (a bug bomb taped to the head of a rake for insertion under the grill cover), and the tactical plan (spray and run). The outcome: "at least a 20mm deep mass grave" imaged from multiple angles, impressive honeycombs not discovered until after the fact, and a potentially depressing clean-up project, including a pesticide-tainted grill.

The question that popped into my mind: couldn't this have been handled differently? I asked Maryann Frazier, Senior Extension Associate of Penn State University's Entomology Department, who believes the grill colony would have been a good one for collection.

"Most states have state and local beekeeping associations with beekeepers who are happy to collect colonies such as these," said Ms. Frazier. Because "collecting the queen is critical... a local beekeeper is the best person to call." Ms. Frazier said she hadn't seen a case of honey bees nesting in a grill before, but she wasn't surprised. She stated bees are often found inhabiting cavities in or around the home, like the eaves of houses, or a chimney.

My reaction to the extermination email was based on recollections of news stories on colony collapse disorder (CCD), which reported worldwide disappearances of honey bees. Several hypotheses emerged regarding possible causes of the phenomenon - pesticides, cell phone tower wave emissions, viruses, parasites, genetically modified crops, or combinations of factors - but most articles reiterated a key point: how much we depend on the honey bees' pollination work for our food supply. In a nutshell, if the honey bees are in trouble, so are we.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Colony Collapse Disorder web page states, "About one mouthful in three in the diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination" and scientists have expressed serious concerns over CCD. Research continues and has even gained financial support from some bee-dependent businesses (imagine our economy without the honey bees). Burt's Bees has created a public service announcement to broaden public awareness, which can be viewed on Burt's site.

Now I'm not saying one person's battle with one colony of honey bees affects the survival of all honey bees - at least, not directly. The bug bomber decimated an alarming quantity of honey bees, but it was still just one colony, according to Ms. Frazier. Clearly, this is not a case of CCD, as all dead bees were present and what happened to them is no mystery. It's also hard to guess when this email was first launched into cyberspace - maybe long before CCD news began to spread.

What I am saying is the ubiquitous email forward reflects the world in which we live. As the honey bee extermination email circulates, I wonder how people react to it. Does it encourage others to try the same thing? On what scale does the general public still poison honey bees? Who even thinks to call a beekeeper for help?

We want to be kings and queens of our own castles, but we also understand our individual actions affect the larger Earth we share. If we, as individuals, didn't already feel a sense of responsibility to protect our natural resources, we wouldn't bother to recycle, choose cloth grocery bags over plastic bags, or refrain from dumping toxic chemicals down the drain. It takes some re-programming to think of the honey bee as another valuable natural resource worthy of preservation, because bees are intimidating and, for some, even potentially life-threatening. Decades of pesticide ads have conditioned consumers to spray first and ask questions later.

But I'm still hopeful some recipients of the honey bee extermination email asked the same question I did: couldn't this have been handled differently? Killing insects simply out of habit leads to missed opportunities to secure our own future well-being - maybe that third plate of food per day we plan on eating for the rest of our lives. Thriving wild honey bees have their place in the natural scheme, but when average homeowners are unaware of bee removal alternatives, they proceed only as they know how. The honey bee extermination email makes it clear the grill owner did not examine the situation until after the colony was dead, when he finally felt safe to peek. If what someone knows about bees is they sting, and hundreds of them are buzzing outside the door, who wouldn't want to skip the close-up preliminary exam?

A beekeeper! Honey bee preservation may offer an economical, eco-friendly, and clean-up free alternative to extermination. Many beekeepers welcome contacts from those who may not understand the honey bee, but do understand the honey bee's value. Explore a new option by locating a beekeeper at the International Honey & Beekeeping website, or check your local directory. To learn how you, as a member of the general public, can help honey bees, scroll down at the USDA website.

Sources:

Honey bee extermination project (email forward, original source unknown)

MaryAnn Frazier, Penn State University, Entomology Department Senior Extension Associate

USDA website, Questions & Answers: Colony Collapse Disorder