Friday, May 12, 2006

Save the bees!

Those of you who know me, know that I'm a big fan of the bugs. (I'm just gonna call all critters that wriggle and crawl and fly and buzz 'bugs' even though I know that they're all really something different; I was smitten by boys in biology, what do you want?) I love worms, catepillars, I saw this red velvet ant while hiking last weekend that was one of the most amazing creatures I'd ever seen, I even have a sense of awe and respect for the cockroach (after finding one once I didn't have the stomach to squash it, instead I put it in a plastic container with the thought it would suffocate—4 days later, it was STILL ALIVE.) I also started a strange but true campaign in 6th grade that divided the girls and boys called "Save the Flies!" Girls: pro-fly, boys: anti-fly. (I think it was something I saw on You Can't Do That on Television; man I loved that show.) But of all the critters in the insect kingdom, I have to say bees are my all-time favorite—one of the most beneficial creatures on earth, responsible for pollinating, creating wax and who doesn't love honey? So when I arrived home last night imagine my dismay at seeing some sort of trap hanging from my outdoor light. Apparantly wife of Bldg Owner (who lives on the premises) had finally discovered the bees that were living in the outside wall of the building next to my front door. Now these bees have been living peacefully (and entertaining Adventure Kitty who sits at the window all day watching them come and go) for at least 2 months. I respect their business (read The Voice of the Infinite in the Small: Revisioning the Insect-Human Connection by Joanne Elizabeth Lauck for more on how you too can communicate with bugs!) and they in turn didn't try to sting me when I came home from work. But now, the trap. It's a hanging bag of water with some sort of sandy substance at the bottom, presumably so that the bees will dip into the water, whatever the toxin is will be carried back to their nest. Since I like bees considerably more than I like my neighbors, I decided there needed to be a pin hole in the bag. Water is dripping out as we speak.

1 comment:

Brian said...

I personally hate bees, although I'm content to just live and let live. And I refuse to believe the advice of "if you just sit still they'll leave you alone." I let a bee land on me once. It crawled up my arm, into my shirt, freaked out and THEN stung me. So if they keep their distance, I won't kill them outright. My favorite bugs though are spiders. They kill the bad bugs. But again, it's a live and let live situation. You stay in your corner with your web, don't come landing on the back of my neck and i'll let you do your thing.

but anyway, kudos on the vigilante justice.