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Bees in the news: Swarm on plane's wing delays flight

3.3K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  ParanoidBeek  
#1 ·
From CBS Pittsburgh

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Bees Delay Flight At Pittsburgh International Airport

DORMONT (KDKA) — At Pittsburgh International Airport, the buzz is all about bees on a plane.

Wednesday night, a Delta commuter flight loaded with passengers and about to take off for New York, was delayed.

“They were getting ready to fuel and they came around the corner of the plane and right there on the wing is a cluster of honeybees,” Master beekeeper Stephen Repasky of Meadow Sweet Apiaries said. “It was a shocker to a lot of people.”

Swarms of bees are actually nothing new at the airport. Last May, 25,000 to 30,000 landed on the Taxiway-C light.

“At the airport, this would be the fourth swarm that we’ve caught this year out there,” he said.

Repasky scooped them into a box for later release. The Delta bees are now safely in his Dormont backyard.

Swarms form when colonies become too large. The queen leaves with half of the bees to find a new home.

“So it could be a tree 40-feet up, it could be the wing of a jet liner,” Repasky explained.

He suspects that there’s a wild honeybee colony somewhere on airport property. They are a protected species, meaning you can’t kill them. They must be moved.

“Specifically, the airport authority have gone through great lengths to make sure that honeybees receive special attention.”

Hopefully, Hollywood is listening because it sounds like a perfect plot for a “B” movie.
 
#2 ·
From CBS Pittsburgh

They are a protected species, meaning you can’t kill them. They must be moved.
Either the reporter or the Master Beekeeper needs to provide some citation for this. I've never read anything to substantiate this and even on beekeeping forums, I've read posts the confidently claim it is in some states though the poster can never say where.

They are not on the endangered species list, as is often claimed.

I've heard this stated from all sorts of people. Master beekeepers should know better.

Wayne
 
#3 ·
Nice swarm!

Waynesgarden... I thought the same thing. They do say it is 'protected' not 'endangered' though. A quick search said that most protected species are also endangered, but not all. Also, protected species may be declared by the state, independent of the feds.

It cleared up a bit for me.
 
#4 ·
"Protected species", but I think that's hookie as well. European honey bees are not even native to the America's so I really doubt they are protected like native wildlife. They might be protected in the same way domesticated animals are but only if they are in apiaries.
 
#5 ·
I was calling pest control places asking to get ahold of me if they were called for honey bees. The one place mentioned in passing that they 'couldn't' kill honey bees. So I wouldn't be surprised if they are protected in some states.
 
#8 ·
So I wouldn't be surprised if they are protected in some states.
I would be surprised. Based only on the fact that this topic pops up every so often here and no one ever can ever say exactly where they are protected. Everyone's always certain that they are protected in some other unknown state.

Even the Poillinator Protection Act, passed some years back, does not make killing honeybees illegal It merely prohibits the use of certain poisons on bees or any other insects. Still can't say I know of a single place in the US where our girls are safe. Maybe someone can correct me.

Wayne
 
#9 ·
That Beekeeper was me - I did not state they were protected - notice that they didn't quote me as saying that? The reporter took that as being the case - I was not asked about it. If society wants to believe that and it allows me to collect and relocate more bees without having people take a can of raid to them then so be it. Why question it on here or anywhere - ideally they SHOULD be protected.
 
#10 ·
wildbeekeeper,

Were there snakes and bees on the plane or just bees? I was a little confused when I saw the report.... Seriously, looking at the pics, it looked like there were two clusters. Were there two swarms/queens? Also, how did you get that reporter to agree to handle those bees? Good work!

rich
 
#11 ·
The word "Master" is one of those words that can drive serious foreign students of English "Nuts" "Bonkers" "Coo-coo" or any number of other nouns camouflaged as adjectives and that mix up our metaphors and hold them in suspension or is it suspicion? Oh, never mind.

A master can be either a teacher, a learned, or else an accomplished individual as in “Head Master” or a “Masters” degree, or as was the intent in this “reporter,” ‘a man wif a-lott-o buk larning bout hony bees.’ He has to be male because if he were female he would have to trans-morph-itate himself into a “Mistress.” Believe me, not an easy task when dressed in a full bee suit. :D “Master” also has the connotation of one who is in charge as in a “Master” of ceremonies, or the slave “Master” relationship, be it human slavery, a hi-tech computer term, or something that either makes your car go faster, or else helps it stop, like a clutch or a brake “Master” cylinder. Then there is the “Master” more often seen now in old British films. This Master refers to a young man of the house hold or manor who is definitely not in charge of anything today, but who is likely to be in charge of everything someday. As in “Master” Charles, your Papa whishes to speak with you in his study.” Finally to heap injury on top of trauma, “Master” can also refer to an old or over the hill athlete, as in a tournament of “Masters.” Yes I know we have come full circle and are back to the original definition for “Master” at the top of this paragraph.

My point being, Please everyone, let’s invent another term to replace “Master Beekeeper” and draw up some tough, science based qualifications that must ‘bee’ met before one can ‘bee’ christened a “Master Beekeeper.” You know, a periodic re-certification or degrees of “Mastery” might bee a good idea as well, like a Black Belt. I feel that it is far easier to become a “Master” beekeeper these days than it is to become an oh… let’s say a “Master” barkeeper. Remember, every “Master” beekeeper in America is viewed by the public as your better, teacher, superior or “Master.” Let’s truly make it stand for something!! :applause: