No Need to Kill Bees For the Padres - Beekeeper

Removing bees live is less dangerous than trying to killstory of anyone being attacked by a swarm of bees. I
them, a professional beekeeper writes.believe it is an urban myth.
A honey bee swarm delayed an Astros-Padres'Bees under threat
baseball game for 52 minutes on Thursday July 2,Honey bees are under a serious threat at the moment.
2009, while a "beekeeper" was called to exterminateColonies have been mysteriously dying, not only in the
them.U.S., but across most of Europe. Colony Collapse
I was appalled that a swarm of bees was destroyedDisorder (CCD) leaves the hive completely devoid of
in front of thousands of San Diego baseball fans! Howbees.
many more people, probably millions, that saw theThe cause is not known but it is very worrying. Bees
incident on national TV now have the message that itaccount for much of the fresh food we eat by way
is necessary or advisable to kill a swarm of bees thisof pollination. We should be pressuring our
way?representatives to provide funding for research into
I was disgusted and horrified. I remove swarms ofColony Collapse Disorder.
honey bees alive every day. Beekeepers do notAmerican Farmers, not known for throwing money
exterminate bees, it just isn't necessary in almost allabout, spend billions of dollars annually to rent hives of
cases!bees from commercial beekeepers to pollinate crops.
Something had to be done quickly at Petco Park ofCrops depend on honey bees
course. But exterminating them took as long as itWho hasn't heard that bees are in trouble? We need
would to collect them, and stirred the remaining beeshoney bees. It has been said that one third of all food
into a frenzy. I contend that far from being the safegrown depends on honey bees for pollination. What
option, this was a risky one.kind of message does killing 20,000 bees on national
Benign swarmtelevision send to the public?
Bees in a swarm are at their most benign. When aPeople were frightened. But if they had called a true
colony becomes too crowded, the workers create abeekeeper, not an exterminator, the bees would have
new queen. Just before the new queen hatches, thebeen removed humanely, alive, without the risk of
old queen leaves the hive with a large proportion ofthose stray bees, which remained after the
the workers, headed for a new location. This is howexterminator sprayed them.
new bee hives are created.In some parts of the world it is illegal to exterminate
Before they depart the hive, the bees fill up with honeybees unless a beekeeper has inspected the situation
to sustain them until they can start foraging again.and been unable to remove them alive. This should be
They're feeling pretty good, just as you do after athe case in the United States.
good meal.Padres' response
They have no hive to defend so are very unlikely toRichard Andersen, Executive VP, Ballpark
sting anyone. In fact, since they are full of honey, it'sManagement & General Manager of PETCO
physically difficult for them to sting.Park, called me in response to an email I sent. He was
This cluster of bees is called a swarm. They collectvery keen to get the facts and I'm sure in future they
somewhere temporarily while the scout bees look forwill try to take the socially responsible action. The
a permanent new location. This is what we saw atPadres won an award.
Petco Park on Thursday.Tom Garfinkel quipped that Luke Yoder, Padres'
Urban myth of killer beesdirector of field and landscape maintenance, has a
I frequently collect swarms without any protectivebeekeeper on speed-dial. I say next time, call a
clothing. It shouldn't be necessary.professional beekeeper to do the right thing!
In more than 20 years of keeping bees, I haveThere is a network of true beekeepers who would
collected hundreds of swarms with varyingrespond straightaway in circumstances like these.
temperaments, I have never come across a credible