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Beekeeping has become very popular in recent years, and a new world of beekeeping influencers has recently emerged on TikTok. But it’s not without drama.
Erika Thompson, the bee mistress of Texas Bee Works, garnered a following of 6.4 million on TikTok by posting videos of rescuing bee colonies from strange places, including trucks, toilets, and umbrellas. Thompson is comfortable in colony videos and often wears no protective clothing, has his hair down and handles bees with his bare hands.
But lately, his videos have received backlash from other beekeepers and fueled by the media. They say he uses dangerous beekeeping practices and is not really saving bees as he claims in every video.
We study the behavior of bees at the University of Sydney. For us, this backlash is exaggerated. Thompson is clearly a competent beekeeper who is educating the public about bees in her own way on social media. It shows the potential of TikTok to bring interesting biology to the public and does it without getting hurt.
Double standards
Thompson has been accused of washing bees when someone says the actions are more favorable to bees than they are, usually inflating the honey bee conservation message over other, more threatened bee species.
That might be the case, but Thompson wouldn’t be the first nor the last person to leverage a popular message to boost his business.
Bee hotels are a great example of bee washing. You can purchase these nests from many major stores, including Bunnings and Aldi, but most native bees nest on the ground and bee hotels can even increase disease transmission if not cleaned between seasons.
Yes, Erika Thompson’s videos don’t show many of the incidents that sometimes happen with beekeeping. But if he wants to send a positive message about bees and increase his following and business opportunities, he is unlikely to show videos involving stings.
As researcher and beekeeper Lewis Bartlett pointed out on Twitter, the attacks on Thompson seem to have a basis in misogyny, and some even read it as outright envy.
In fact, research from 2018 confirmed that women are more likely to receive negative comments on YouTube, so it’s sadly unsurprising that there is a woman behind controversial videos.
But why is he not stung?
Bees are the leading cause of hospitalization for a poisonous animal in Australia. So it’s shocking and impressive to see someone picking bees with their bare hands.
It’s not the only example of someone undertaking what was considered by some to be an unsafe practice, with other TikTok users exhibiting similar practices without gloves.
While we don’t recommend people who aren’t beekeepers try this, bees can be beautiful and docile creatures. And it is clear that Thompson knows how to interact with bees and how to avoid getting stung.
To prevent stings, Thompson gently handles the bees and probably carefully chooses which bees to film based on how aggressive the colony is.
Colonies can be selectively bred to be less aggressive and beekeepers will look for some bee subspecies, such as the Italian subspecies Apis mellifera liguistica, which are popular for their gentle natures.
If a colony is agitated or aggressive by nature, it is more likely to sting. If you can smell bananas around bees, you might smell their alarm pheromone. The weather will also affect the mood of the bees, a nicer weather brings more beautiful bees.
Beekeepers often use smokers to calm bees before interacting with them. If you scroll through Thompson’s TikTok feed, you’ll see her wearing protective beekeeping gear and the presence of smokers in some videos.
There’s a chance the bees are actually stinging Thompson, but she isn’t bothered by them.
Each person has a different reaction to bee stings. Some people have a severe reaction, an anaphylactic response that potentially leads to death, while others barely react.
This beekeeper is confident that there is no risk of bee stings, so he has taken off his hood and gloves.Sebastian Croker, CC BY-NCSave the bees Beekeepers often wear full-length bee clothing, veil, gloves and closed shoes when they work with their colonies. Many colorful options are available. Eliza Middleton @smiley_lize
Thompson has demonstrated her skills as an engaging educator on bee health and biology, filling her videos with interesting facts about bees and explaining their behaviors.
His videos often end with the bee rescue message, but his focus on bees can detract from the importance of native bees.
In North America, many native bees, such as the rusted patched hornet, face significant threats.
Bees, on the other hand, are believed to have originated in Africa or Asia and are considered to be native to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Still, the number of bee colonies in North America has increased.
Conservation isn’t as simple as saving or focusing on a single species.
By saving a non-native species over a native species, you can unknowingly increase competition for resources and native species cannot compete.
How can you help save the bees?
Beekeeping has soared in Australia. In Queensland, for example, the number of amateur beekeepers has doubled over the past five years.
Although Thompson makes it seem easy enough to move swarms of bees, you shouldn’t try to move bees on your own without proper training.
Bees in swarms are unlikely to sting and usually move within hours. But if you are concerned, call a professional beekeeper to have them removed.
But to help save bees, you don’t have to be a beekeeper. Simply planting flowers in your garden and reducing pesticide use can make a big difference.
Get out there and get to know your native bees, and maybe get involved in some citizen science.
Caitlyn Forster, PhD Candidate, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney and Eliza Middleton, Laboratory Manager, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
This article was republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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