November 12, 2008: Beez

[Aliantha]

Ah right. I think we might have a few of those. Not too many though. We don't go in for flag waving all that often.

[dar512]

Ali - I was thinking it must be really late for you. But the world clock says it's Saturday afternoon there.

[Aliantha]

Yep, 3.24pm.

It's stinking hot though. Should be a storm later on.

[onetrack]

The bee-killer was stupid for killing the bees in that manner. Australia doesn't have yellowjackets, or African killer bees - but we do have native bees and the European Honey Bee .. which is now the common bee in Australia.
The most common native Australian bee is a tiny little dark-coloured thing, and is not usually used for honey production. There are 1500 types of native Aussie bee, and only 10 varieties don't sting - but stings from native bees are rare, as they usually aren't aggressive.

The European Honey Bee is relatively aggressive and will sting you, if you get too close to a hive, or step on them. They have "scouts" that circle the hive at a distance and pick you out as an intruder and hit you without warning at high speed - thus the fear of bees.

Bees need to hit you at high speed to inject their stinger. Once this is done, the stinger is torn from their body, leaving the stinger and poison sac attached .. which pumps venom into you via remnant nerve/muscle action. The bee dies after it stings you, because it has torn out a large chunk of its anatomy. Bee stings hurt .. and to numerous people, bee stings are dangerous, if they have an allergy to bee stings.

Nonetheless, European Honey Bees are a very vital part of Australia's ecosystem, having been here so long. They are responsible for pollinating many crops, fruits and vegetables, as well as providing delicious honey. We would all be much worse off, without them.

What is worse, is that the honey bees are under real threat, worldwide, from diseases and other problems such as bee mites, Foulbrood Disease, the Vanishing Bee Syndrome, Hive beetles, and excessive clearing.
Australia is one of the few countries left in the world where the honey bee population hasn't been attacked and decimated by bee mites and other bee predators.

You should do all you can to save bees and hives. This hive could have easily been saved by a professional beekeeper, many of whom provide, swarm or hive collection services (not always free, unfortunately). A beekeeper is always looking for more hives and queens.

Look up your Yellow pages next time under "Beekeepers" and see if they advertise a nuisance hive collection service. Most will charge a small fee (it costs money to drive out to your home and collect hives) .. but usually far less than pest control companies.

That honeycomb probably contained enough delicious honey to keep you in a supply of honey for 6 or 9 months. Have you priced honey lately? It ain't cheap ..
You can also use honey as a wound dressing - recent research has found it is very effective at treating wounds, and burns in particular.

Be bee-friendly, and look after our bees - and if you study up on them, you'll find they are absolutely amazing little creatures, at how they communicate, organise themselves, and work like trojans to provide us with good food.
As a final piece of worthy advice .. I recommend you go and see the "Bee Movie" ..

The Australian Native Bee website .. http://www.aussiebee.com.au

The Australian Honey Bee .. http://www.honeybee.org.au/index.php...d=53&Itemid=70

[Undertoad]

Not the dread Foulbrood Disease. I myself have a patch of crickets suffering from Hassenpfeffer's Malady, and a praying mantis with a case of Dwindling Antennae Disorder. And last year my Algerian Laughing Beetle caught Wagman's Cough.