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Post by JessWunman on Sept 11, 2004 12:01:04 GMT -6
You know that sweet, colorful, translucent, slightly chewy, wiggly stuff that we put fruits, grated carrots, and marshmallows into? Are you thinking... Jell-O? Of course, 'Jell-O' is a specific brand of gelatin and, when you think about it, there's a multitude of gelatin brands, but we call it all... Jell-O... 'cause we're lazy. We just don't care to be careful when it comes to thinking about the differences in gelatins. On the other hand, strict vegetarians can't afford to be so lazy. They're keenly aware of the gelatin differences. See, Jell-O (and it's lesser-known equivalents) are primarily made of swine and cattle hooves and bones. Oh yes they are! There is a vegetarian gelatin. It may look like Jell-O, but it was never part of a cow (big difference.) Alright, so what's Jell-O got to do with bees? Just this... bees are wonderfully organized, normally non-aggressive, honey and wax manufacturers who greatly benefit mankind and almost always mind their own business. Yellow Jacket wasps, on the other hand, give us nothing sweet to eat and are very aggressive. Unfortunately, they resemble bees and love many of the same things we do, like... Fanta root beer and Big Scot burgers. When we compete for food, we usually win, but they're very sore losers and delight in making us 'sore winners'. You think there's not much difference between bees and wasps? Wrong, wrong wrong! When you see those intelligent guys who willingly cover there bodies with stinging insects on 'Ripley's Believe It or Not', it's always with bees, never with Yellow Jackets. (There's good reason for this.) When we call Yellow Jackets "bees", we're just being... lazy, and as a bee fan, it greatly pains my heart to know that 99.9% of those nasty stings are falsely blamed on our generous friends. I'm posting this appeal to incite the truly caring people of Streator to come to the bee's defense. At the next family get together, when everyone's raving over Aunt Polly's Pineapple Pig-Hoof Parfait and complaining about them dang "bees", give them the Jello-O story and also take the opportunity to straighten them out about bees and Yellow Jackets. You'll be the hit of the picnic and our Honey Boy would surely be proud! Thanks, Jess
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Post by toshiko on Sept 13, 2004 7:30:30 GMT -6
Good story. Bees love Zima too. Yellow jackets do not. Squirt pop has earthabate(sp) in it. This is some derivitive of earthworms. I wonder if vegatarians can drink Squirt. Are worms considered meat? Just curious
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Post by Eva Ryman on Sept 13, 2004 17:10:51 GMT -6
This is not about one of my favorite singers, I see. I thought this might be about an Anthony Newley song, that goes, 'bee, bum, de, bee, bum' and so on, he does it as a duet with his daughter, and I find it very amusing, (the song).
I also found this essay very entertaining, and I agree whole heartedly with the sentiments of Mr. Wunman. For too long the humble, helpful bee has been blamed for his nasty, buzzing neighbor!!!
Though hard as I try, changing a common perception, is nearly impossible. I find that most people prefer the erroneous realities that they have been handed by others, to embracing of fact, and the acceptance of truth.
How did that line go,.....''don't confuse me with the facts!'' I think it went, and so goes the status of bees, and how much else in our world?
Thanks for a very worthwhile read, Mr. Wunman.
Fondly, Eva
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Post by Lucky01 on Sept 21, 2004 6:08:00 GMT -6
Jess - the Jell-o story was more information about the product than I really wanted to know. Sometimes not knowing what I am eating is helpful. The bee information was very true though. I have been blaming the poor bees all my life and I will not give them anymore bum raps. I was stung by a nasty yellow jacket a couple of weeks ago at a football game. I blamed it on a bee. I always associated the yellow jacket as being the large and very yellow and black striped fuzzy insects. After reading your post I did a search on yellow jackets and you are correct. That is the bad boy that stung me. So I want to apologize to all of our bee friends and give them a big thank you for the honey. Jess - please don't tell me where honey comes from either because I already know and I don't like to dwell on that either.
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Post by JessWunman on Sept 22, 2004 18:48:53 GMT -6
Lucky01, It's so good to know that one of my Streator friends will no longer bee contributing to the slander that these benevolent insects endure. Since the tide of popular opinion is swiftly turning, I'm thinking that we should come up with a catchy phrase to shout out at public gatherings. You know, like... "Make Love, Not War!"... some inspiring chant to rally the troops. How 'bout " Make Sweets, Not Sores!" or, " If You Look in a Book, You will Find Bees are Kind" or, " The Ringleader of the Stinging Racket is the Mean Ol' Yellow Jacket!" (Of course, you can always make up your own.) It doesn't matter, just something to get their attention. Once Streatorites get the jist of the message, they will swarm to our cause! Lucky01 wrote: "...please don't tell me where honey comes from either because I already know and I don't like to dwell on that either."Are you telling me that since you conquered apiphobia, you have now succumbed to melissophobia? This is tragic! I understand that real ones can be scary, but why wouldn't you want to dwell on those cute little plastic guys? Okay, if you don't want me to explain where honey really comes from, I won't press it. Besides, when I press it, the honey comes out. (hint) I'm so stirred-up about this injustice that I'm bearly hanging on to my sanity. (hint) Thanks for 'bearing' with me 'honey' (hint, hint), Jess
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Post by Blue Star7 on Sept 22, 2004 19:45:34 GMT -6
Mmmmm! Brings back sweet memories of a great uncle in Rutland that had Honey Bee hives and we used to get metal, 5 gal. buckets of it, Honeycomb and all! No chewing gum for us back then, just scooped out a peice of honeycomb. I've always known the difference and learned it at a VERY early age, after a Yellow Jacket sting! OUCH!!!!
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Post by Lucky01 on Sept 24, 2004 5:48:37 GMT -6
Jess - I have to admit that I had to look up the meaning of apiphobia and melissophobia. The definition was a "fear of bees". I think that someone should inform the medical society that they are not bees but are in fact yellow jackets. I will be looking forward to seeing you at public gatherings and will find you easily when you are shouting your slogans. In the mean time - bee good!
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Post by toshiko on Sept 24, 2004 7:50:09 GMT -6
This is kinda OT, but..... Remember I told u Zima attracts bees? Well, Wed, I was being bothered by them on my deck, while cleaning the pond. So, I took my own advice and placed some Zima in an ashtray where I was working. The bees came like I thought they would. Howver, when I went out their yesterday to clean the ashtray, IT WAS FULL AND I MEAN FULL OF earwigs. I mean loaded!! And i hate earwigs worse than bees. Just thought I would share.
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Post by JessWunman on Sept 24, 2004 20:31:36 GMT -6
toshiko, Why do you hate bees? I understand that they have the ability to sting. It's a defense that they sometimes use when physically assaulted, or when the hive (home to their young'uns) is threatened. How do you feel about cows? They let us take their milk. We return the favor by grilling their offspring. If you physically assault a cow, or threaten her calf, she might get defensive and hurt you much worse than a bee's sting. Do you also hate cows? Earwigs, on the other hand... who could blame you for despising those little Zima-swilling butt-pinchers!
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Post by toshiko on Sept 24, 2004 21:42:50 GMT -6
Jess, I don't hate them at all!! But I was busy cleaning and for some reason they just keep pestering me. I finally realized the hummingbird feeder was what was attracting them. So u will be happy to know, that I have found a different solution. I filled some of my little hummingbird feeders w/ oriole nectar and they are happy little bees, now. And I am happy, too, as I can get near my pond to clean it as needed.
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Post by GuestJob on Sept 25, 2004 3:49:57 GMT -6
My wife met this nice man at a workshop at our local zoo several weeks ago. He was in the news this week.
____________________________________________
Ex-Fort Wayne zoo director in critical condition after insect attack The Associated Press September 15, 2004 10:52 AM
FORT WAYNE, IND. -- A swarm of bees or wasps attacked the former director of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo outside his home, sending him to the hospital in critical condition.
Earl Wells, 75, was working at his home in Huntertown, about 10 miles north of Fort Wayne, when he was stung Sunday afternoon.
"He was on the ladder, washing windows," said Robert Boren, chief engineer of the Huntertown-Perry Township Fire Department. "There were hundreds of bee stings over the body."
Wells was unconscious when paramedics arrived to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He remained unconscious as he was taken to a hospital and later taken by helicopter to Lutheran Hospital, Boren said.
Wells remained in critical condition Wednesday at Lutheran, hospital spokesman Jeff Thomas said.
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Post by GuestJob on Sept 25, 2004 3:55:13 GMT -6
A later story.
Ex-Fort Wayne zoo director dies after insect attack Wednesday September 22, 2004 FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) The former director of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo has died after he was stung by hundreds of yellow jackets.
Seventy-five-year-old Earl Wells died yesterday at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, the zoo said in a written statement.
He had remained in a coma since September 12th when he was attacked at his home in Huntertown, about ten miles north of Fort Wayne.
Zoo officials say Wells was stung by an estimated one-thousand European yellow jackets when his step ladder collapsed onto their underground nest while he was washing windows.
Wells was the director of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo from its opening in 1965 until his retirement in 1994 and had served as a consultant in the design of other zoos across the country.
(from WANE-TV, Fort Wayne)
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Post by John on Sept 25, 2004 7:32:28 GMT -6
All wasps will defend their nests, but the Yellow Jackets and hornets are the most aggressive. They can be distinguished from bees by their thin "waists." Bees are thick-waisted. They fold their wings lengthwise when at rest. Like all wasps, yellow jackets prey on a variety of insects and other arthropods. Yellow jackets will also forage on foods that people eat, especially sweets and meats. They are considered beneficial insects, eating other insects. The yellow jacket colony will remain active for only one summer, after which the queens will fly away to start more colonies. The remaining ones, die at the end of the summer, the nest is not reused. IDENTIFICATION: Size: 5/8 to 1 inch Color: Black and Yellow or black and white They have a thin waist. HABITS: They usually nest in the ground, but will nest also in railroad ties, wall voids, and other above ground locations. In the spring, most yellow jackets will feed on insects. Many homeowners see"bees" flying around their hedges. These "bees" are usually yellow jackets and are there to eat insects on the foliage. Spraying the hedges with an appropriate insecticide will kill the food source of the yellow jackets, and they will soon leave the area. In the fall, wasp colonies have come the largest size, and foraging workers may be a serious nuisance as they search for food people eat or discarded food. If a colony is disturbed, they can become very aggressive and sting. For most a sting is temporary, but painful, but for allergic individuals as single sting may result in a serious reaction, requiring medical treatment.
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Post by JessWunman on Sept 25, 2004 9:47:56 GMT -6
...i hate earwigs worse than bees. toshiko, I'm glad that you don't hate our bee-buddies. (Just took you at your word from your previous post.) Interesting. We've fed hummingbirds for years. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I have yet to see even one bee at the feeder. Are you certain they're bees?
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Post by JessWunman on Sept 25, 2004 9:54:09 GMT -6
GuestJob,
Thanks for posting those two articles. Illustrates the misidentification problem very well. Most often, the correction is never made and bees shoulder the blame. The engineer's assumption is typical. We never give it a second thought.
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