# So what’s the deal with Erika Thompson the bee whisperer?



## shaneTX (Jun 7, 2016)

My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.

I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.

I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

I work bees without any protection as well.

Other members here work bees without protection.

When I use a veil, it's an indication of a major problem in the apiary.


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## adrock (Mar 19, 2021)

username00101 said:


> I work bees without any protection as well.
> 
> Other members here work bees without protection.
> 
> When I use a veil, it's an indication of a major problem in the apiary.


That still amazes me. Seems like it something that should be done easily but every other time I’m pulling the boxes apart I’ve got one stubborn girl bopping my veil. Seems like I’d be stung in the face without the veil. In time I suppose. All of you with experience still seem like you’re using secret magic.


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## bushpilot (May 14, 2017)

I wear a full suit and gloves, and have no desire to do otherwise.


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## jjayf (Aug 15, 2020)

I work my hives without protection and smoke sometimes, either I am not going in deep and just checking if frames are drawn etc, or its during afternoon sun , or the colony is not much bigger than a nuc and there is some kind of flow on... a strong colony on a cool drizzly day during a dearth... have fun


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

There are many times no protection isrequired especially if you only make video record on chosen days . I find a veil saves a lot of time and wear one especially in yards withmany colonies. I only wear gloves when pulling honey or during dearth or questionable weather. Do what you personally are comfortable with. And KNOW that all these galactic bee warriors all have had epic melt downs and HIGH SPEED LINEAR PANICS in their beekeeping careers! I know I have had them and many times when it was prudent to just walk away for fifteen minutes and recharge the smoker!


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## ifixoldhouses (Feb 27, 2019)

All I wear is a veil, I wouldn't like a stinger in the eyeball, been stung in the face before, no big deal.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

There is some sect or religion that plays with snakes.
I have seen guys wrestle bears.

Guess it is up to you to decide what level of "exposure" you are comfortable with.

I wear a jacket with veil.
of the 30ish hives I have a couple could be done in a T shirt.
Some will try to get you thru the veil or gloves, so it is a bee race thing IMO.

The ones likening to work bees in a T shirt are welcome to come give it a try on my Russians......

PM Me

GG


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## ncbeez (Aug 25, 2015)

Some of my bees are gentle, some are not. I wear a veil, jacket and gloves but the finger tips are gone for the right hand. It is rare for them to go after my finger tips anyway. Since there is a mix of attitudes in my beeyard I suit up that way. I often work the nucs with no protection for a while until one of the meaner hives decides I am too close. If anyone comes to visit my beeyard that isn't experienced with bees I know which ones to let them look inside and which ones to leave alone. I believe most beekeepers working with no protection are "for real " but it bothers me to see someone always working with small hives, young bees talking about how gentle their bees are. Also most beekeepers know their comfort levels and know their bees. Just like a swarm at work a while back: someone standing nearby seemed a little fearful, wanting to know if they were mean wild bees. They had come up out of a nearby ravine and looked like they hadn't been there long. I told him no and explained the swarming process and ran my fingers through the cluster. Then unintentionally I was the "bee whisperer ".


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## Akademee (Apr 5, 2020)

What she does is incredibly dangerous and misleading. Texas has a huge problem with Africanized bees and you can't tell if they are Africanized by looking at them. The only way to tell is either through DNA testing or actually experiencing their behavior. What you see her doing is fake and staged. Her husband comes through and cuts everything up for her, gets all of the big hive disturbances out of the way, calms them down, and then she goes in and carefully lifts stuff up with no protection as if you can do that after just cutting them out of a wall or floor.

Most of the people I know that work without suits (still always a veil) are just used to the stings and they are not bothered by it. They still get stung a lot. Its like welders who weld with nothing but a T-shirt and a helmet.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Akademee said:


> What she does is incredibly dangerous and misleading. Texas has a huge problem with Africanized bees and you can't tell if they are Africanized by looking at them. The only way to tell is either through DNA testing or actually experiencing their behavior. What you see her doing is fake and staged. Her husband comes through and cuts everything up for her, gets all of the big hive disturbances out of the way, calms them down, and then she goes in and carefully lifts stuff up with no protection as if you can do that after just cutting them out of a wall or floor.
> 
> Most of the people I know that work without suits (still always a veil) are just used to the stings and they are not bothered by it. They still get stung a lot. Its like welders who weld with nothing but a T-shirt and a helmet.


I watched a few of those videos a few days ago and was thinking along the same lines as you. I thought they probably went in there fully suited first to be sure they were not AFB. 

Alex


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## ncbeez (Aug 25, 2015)

Even Ralph Jones 111 who sticks his finger in a hive entrance, says he is not brave but just knows his bees and wouldn't keep mean bees, chomps down on comb with honey and pollen with bees still crawling around on it., takes a veil with him to do cutouts. He tells those watching that you don't know the nature of the bees right away. He is in Virginia far away from typical africanized bee territory .


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## ncbeez (Aug 25, 2015)

Not only are the general public being misled, my friends and family showing me Erika and others collecting and working bees with no protection, dressed in their nice clothes or tshirt,shorts and flip flops are wondering why I can't do the same.


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## ncbeez (Aug 25, 2015)

Just remembered, I did stop on my way to church one evening to help my brother in law catch a swarm. One of them pooped on my tan dress slacks. How's that for "saving the bees"?


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

She's getting a lot of social media attention, which is her goal, but it's irresponsible to work bees without protection. I also think a lot of setup and verification is done before her videos are made. Working bees without at least a veil is dangerous.


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

We had a nice gentle hive one day the next time we went out I was covered with bees from head to toe. We do not have africanized here. 

I never work without protection, some hives totally ignore you, right now we have one hive that hunts us down in the yard to sting us. One bee flew straight at me and stung me between the eyes, I was around 75 feet from the hives. They swarm out if you even touch the hive. That one is being requeened, again, as soon as our short nectar flow is over.

My guess is they smoke them up good, spray with sugar water, then film.


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## ifixoldhouses (Feb 27, 2019)

saw this about it. The Emerging Beef Between the Texas Bee Lady and the Beekeeping Critic Who Argues She's an Influencer Hoax


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## joebeewhisperer (May 13, 2020)

Gray Goose said:


> The ones likening to work bees in a T shirt are welcome to come give it a try on my Russians...


GG, I was raised during the Cold War like half the folks on here, but I don’t know why you continue to propagate these myths about Russians. 😜

Doing splits later today or tomorrow, in a t-shirt. And they rarely sting me 30x like they did Monday. Probably take 3-4 before nightfall, but I’ll be in breezy comfort between stings. That’s the nice part.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

I work my bees in a veil, a,tee shirt and jeans and have no problems UNTIL it's time to rob honey.At that point my very gentle bees are murderous. It takes full armor. What you are seeing, on social media,most of the time,is .very selective. In other words,"while I am showing off I will only show my gentlest colonies".


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

Back to the original question:

There's nothing special about Erika, many of us work bees without protection. She's a salesperson.

Outside of ABH country, the need to wear protection isn't such a big deal.

IDK what sort of bees folks are working where they need to wear full armor.


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## Boondocks (Sep 16, 2020)

username00101 said:


> Back to the original question:
> 
> There's nothing special about Erika, many of us work bees without protection. She's a salesperson.
> 
> ...


From MrSpock in 2010 on this forum:
"
A fellow beek in a bind needed to give up his hive, and I agreed to take it.

He Warned me that it was quite "hot". He told me he got his last queen from "Jack", who's bees are also quite "hot".

Arriving at his house, he was in bee suit, with smoker in hand, screwing and _hammering_ boards and straps to the side of the hive for transport. For some reason, the inner cover had been removed. Hive was dropped a few times in the process of loading.

After delivering the (roaring) hive to the apiary, I let it sit for 2 days to let it settle before attending to it.

As part of my practice, I am committed to wearing neither suit, nor smoking, and instead using my ears, eyes, sugar spray, and a soft touch. I was unsure how this would go with this "hot" hive, but needed to try, for the sake of my own learning.

To make a long story short, I was able pry and unscrew the wood and straps off of the hive, remove the telescoping cover, and replace the inner cover. The hive was incredible strong, it was nerve-wracking work, and took about an hour while a cloud of beez buzzed around me.

I only received one sting, on my thumb, from a bee I squeezed while picking up my screwgun.

The significant lesson I learned is this: The other beek's fear of his hive caused him to treat his hive in a way that contributed to the hive's bad mood.

As a newbeek, I feel this was a bit of a light-bulb moment. "









Two beekeeping styles, and a significant lesson learned.


A fellow beek in a bind needed to give up his hive, and I agreed to take it. He Warned me that it was quite "hot". He told me he got his last queen from "Jack", who's bees are also quite "hot". Arriving at his house, he was in bee suit, with smoker in hand, screwing and *hammering* boards...




www.beesource.com


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I am not much in touch with the popular culture as I do not do much tv time. My new grand daughterinlaw shows up and immediately wants to go out and touch bees and have them walk on her hands! So I guess I can see a lot of children raised in a rubber room society learning some valuable lessons about mother nature! I will try to get her what she wants and hope it goes well.


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## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

I have some colonies that are easy to work without protection. They are small, with barely enough bees to cover the brood patch in the colony. They have food in a feeder, and really no bees to spare for guard duty, and even less to spare for sting duty which kills the bee. I made a few of these up earlier this week, took a box of bees with some brood from a big strong hive, set them on a new bottom then placed a ripe cell to emerge in that box and start a new colony. After a day, all the foragers that were in these boxes have migrated back to the original stand location, and the young house bees left are gentle as can be. 

But for a whole different experience in beekeeping, go open the box that was left in the original location. It's now a box overflowing with bees, very little feed, a queen, and very little brood, but a huge population of foraging bees. You dont have to open the box before they attack, you just have to walk in front of it.

I have seen some of the youtube channels where folks are proud of working bees with no protection, and I do see a common thread in those channels. You never see a big strong bee colony that's going to fill 4 boxes with honey over a 2 week flow. What you see is small weak colonies that will need a lot of careful tending and feeding to keep alive.

I wear gloves most of the time, not because of stings, rather it's because of propolis. Over times our frames have acquired a lot of sticky propolis, so if I go thru frames bare handed, then when I find a queen and want to put her in a cage, I have sticky fingers that make the job difficult. So I wear gloves, and when I want to catch and cage a queen, the right glove comes off. Now I can catch a queen with fingers that are clean and not sticky with propolis.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

> IDK what sort of bees folks are working where they need to wear full armor.


It has a calming effect...on me. Every now and then, an accident happens- I drop something, bump something or whatever and bees get miffed. I've been stung before, and I don't like it so I take precautions to avoid it. Wearing a suit, or at least a jacket, makes it easier to work more effectively.

The commercial guy who taught/teaches me wears at least a jacket, and most of his employees wear full suits. Why borrow trouble? Sometimes, stuff happens. He says "Everything may be just fine, until it isn't. Don't take chances just to be a 'show-off'."

I've had an angry hive go full bonkers on me, unprotected. It isn't fun. All it takes is a dropped hive tool, or frame, or a moosefly bites you and and you slap some bees along with the fly. Or you squish a bunch of bees re-assembling an extremely populous hive.

This year, the suit serves as protection from the huge tick population as well. the ticks are _really_ nasty this year and I have been having severe reactions from the bites. I don't know if the enhanced reactions are due to a change in the ticks themselves, or a change in me (Covid vaccination comes to mind as a possible culprit but as yet I have no real data to support that hypothesis). I have had three bites this year that left huge welts after the ticks were removed. Two days after the last one, which I removed from my chest, it looked like I had been shot (yes, I have been shot on several occasions and I know what it looks like).

I prefer to be protected in the event that something unexpected happens.


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## Trin (May 6, 2020)

I learned at a young age not to throw baseball sized rocks at a hollow tree hive. I think it all depends on how many hives you have, and how much time you have, how much patience and calm you are, and especially the temperament of each hive. I've been in bee yards of 60 hives and no protection, Inspections were slow and gentle. Never saw even so much as a pesky guard bee. 

I've been with 3 hives and wore a veil and sometimes a full suit because one hive was riled up. I got stung for the first time in 6 years wearing a full bee suit, on the wrist because I rolled a bee against my wrist, and not wearing gloves. I use a little smoke. Smoking your hands and clothes seems to help. I know full well that if I get up to dozens of hives stings will increase, but it isn't much of a bother. 
Move slow and pay attention, don't hit the hive with something like a smoker, nothing to cause a vibration kind of knock on the hive. It's nice to have gentle bees. 

If I had Russians I might soak some garlic cloves in vodka and take a few nips. Might keep the guards out of your face? Or maybe cause the whole hive to turn out?


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## Mud Songs (Sep 30, 2010)

The general rule is (or should be), if it goes viral in the beekeeping world, it's probably misleading. It's best to assume it's misleading because these viral inventions and videos are rarely, if ever, true reflections of what beekeeping is really like for most people. The Texas Beeworks videos certainly don't reflect the reality of most beekeepers I know.


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## CCBEES (Jul 23, 2020)

I am just a newbee so I can't offer any wisdom but I can say I don't like to get stung. I've seen some beekeepers who don't use much if any protection who seem to get stung every time they work their hives and don't seem to care and act like that's just part of keeping bees. If that's how you feel more power to you. Personally I would be fine if I never got stung. However as a newbee trying to learn, there is an implication from some that to be comfortable with your bees, or get over a fear of bees you have to work your hives in shorts and flip flops. If you can't do that you are scared, or clumsy or too rough in handling your bees. I think that is wrong. To each their own, but I wear a hat and sunscreen when working outside, and I wear a bee suit and gloves when I work the bees and still feel like I can grow into a pretty decent beekeeper.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

There is a lot to consider when working bees.
weather, time of day, time of year, is there a flow or dearth, bees temperment, etc.

I let the bees tell me what I need to wear, I have done plenty of cut outs wearing just a tee shirt and jeans, and others you better be ready.

Nobody likes to get stung, not even the beekeeper, but if you keep bees it is going to happen.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> "Everything may be just fine, until it isn't. Don't take chances just to be a 'show-off'."


This way I like responsible videos about gun handling the same.

If you break the weapon handling rules, you can get away many times - until you don't.

Bees are very similar.
Promotion of the PPE-less bee handling content is irresponsible that way - it is akin rule-less gun handling being promoted.
Dumb and irresponsible.


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## Heinlein (Aug 28, 2018)

e-spice said:


> She's getting a lot of social media attention, which is her goal, but it's irresponsible to work bees without protection. I also think a lot of setup and verification is done before her videos are made. Working bees without at least a veil is dangerous.


Social Media is heavily driven by vanity.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

Hey Joe

the offer is open to you as well. 

GG, I was raised during the Cold War like half the folks on here, but I don’t know why you continue to propagate these *myths* about Russians. 😜

most are F1 and F2s
the really bad ones I have requeened.

I have a love hate relationship with my bees, love that they are aggressive carry a lot , and frugal in winters, and survive winters, hate that they at times,, Have a mood and will drop 30 stingers in my suit in < 1 min. 

so to be fair these are not "pure" Russians, but offspring from the most heavy carriers and largest spring coloneys.

GG


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> It has a calming effect...on me. Every now and then, an accident happens- I drop something, bump something or whatever and bees get miffed. I've been stung before, and I don't like it so I take precautions to avoid it. Wearing a suit, or at least a jacket, makes it easier to work more effectively.
> 
> The commercial guy who taught/teaches me wears at least a jacket, and most of his employees wear full suits. Why borrow trouble? Sometimes, stuff happens. He says "Everything may be just fine, until it isn't. Don't take chances just to be a 'show-off'."
> 
> ...


you really should get tested for Limes 
no fun to have that.

GG


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

Gray Goose said:


> you really should get tested for Limes
> no fun to have that.
> 
> GG


Yeah, I'm watching for the signs. My wife had Lyme Disease a while back, they took so long to get the diagnosis that she was in a very bad way when they finally figured it out. It took two weeks of twice daily IV antibiotic infusions to get it under control, and a number of spinal taps to make sure it was gone. She now suffers from chronic fibromyalgia. Nope, don't want to do that at all.


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## CCBEES (Jul 23, 2020)

This might just be my inexperience, but I just don't think bees are always that predictable either. I like to go sit next to my hives for a while and just watch what they are doing. Last year, and this year up until about a month ago they never paid any attention to me. Then one day I went to take a look and while 15 feet away one rogue bee flew directly at my face and stung me just inside my nose. No bumping or warning, no other agitated bees, just a banana burst inside my nose. The next day again just standing 15 feet away and out of the flight line of the bees, one bee took a beeline for my eye and stung my eyelid. I have seen no other changes in the behavior of any of the colonies, and they have all remained docile whenever I am in the hive. Is it common every once in a while to have just a couple of pissy bees that are determined to ruin your day?


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## joebeewhisperer (May 13, 2020)

CCBEES said:


> However as a newbee trying to learn, there is an implication from some that to be comfortable with your bees, or get over a fear of bees you have to work your hives in shorts and flip flops.


Do only what you are comfortable with and nothing more. If it sounds like bragging when someone says they don't wear PPE, then I guess sometimes it is. Guys are kinda like that. I grab a quick veil, mini-hive tool, marking pen, sharpie, queen cage(s) and keep my smoker fuel by the smoker in the yard. Not counting mixing up stuff, or waxing frames or general maintenance, I'm ready to pry up a lid in <5 mins. This is the primary reason I don't suit up, you can call it time-management, or lazy. 

I once visited some folks who had been visited the night before by my older brother (an infamous practical joker). A young man told me that my brother had put out a cigarette (may have been cigar) in the palm of his hand. This 20-something kid showed me a burn in his own palm and said proudly, "Boy it hurt, but I did it, same as him." I don't know my brother's angle/trick, but I know he had one. I looked across the room to a guy who hadn't said a single word the whole time. I actually think he was very hearing-impaired and may have not caught the nuances of what was said. He offered this bit of wisdom, "Never play another man's game."


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## Struttinbuck (Mar 8, 2020)

Gray Goose said:


> There is some sect or religion that plays with snakes.
> I have seen guys wrestle bears.
> 
> Guess it is up to you to decide what level of "exposure" you are comfortable with.
> ...


I wrestled Ceaser the bear once. 
And to think I actually thought I was going to kick his Arse.
Like really, I was going to get my shoulder up under that 1000 pound bears chin and roll him over. LOL!!!!!!!!
I got my shoulder under his neck, he took one little step forward like it was nothing. I get slammed onto my back and the dude said to make sure if he steps on you that its not your tummy. I rolled over, tried to crawl away and he put both front paws on my back! LOL
So I squirmed for about 20 seconds and the guys were able to get him off of me. The handlers were like, YOU AINT DONE ARE YA? LOL
I wear a veil 50% of the time. If they start head butting. LOL.
Plus I think bee stings are good for you. I mean how many bee keepers do you see making it to 90?


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

> I think bee stings are good for you. *I mean how many bee keepers do you see making it to 90?*


And how many _don't_?


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## Struttinbuck (Mar 8, 2020)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> And how many _don't_?


The allergic ones.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> Yeah, I'm watching for the signs. My wife had Lyme Disease a while back, they took so long to get the diagnosis that she was in a very bad way when they finally figured it out. It took two weeks of twice daily IV antibiotic infusions to get it under control, and a number of spinal taps to make sure it was gone. She now suffers from chronic fibromyalgia. Nope, don't want to do that at all.


right
and the longer before you start the treatment the longer it take to get thru it.

BTW Limes can be transmitted VIA body fluid.

good luck hope you do not have it but if you do the sooner you get started the better.

GG


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Struttinbuck said:


> The allergic ones.


In addition, many a beekeeper seem to could lose some weight.
Must be the too many carbs - too close to the very carb source.


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## Gino45 (Apr 6, 2012)

There are some very gentle bees around; however, I never had experience with them prior to the genetic modification of our bees by the 'experts'. How they did it, I don't know. Did they just do it by selective cross breeding until they achieved their goals, or was genetic enginnering involved? I don't know, but perhaps someone else does.
That said the bees I have today can be mistreated and handled roughly with not much danger to me, the beekeeper. Rather than fight back as my bees did for the first 30 or so years, they respond by 'crying'. Does this mean I now have Democratic bees, whereas before I had Republican bees? Hard to say, but I am in a 'blue' state.
These days I never wear bee gloves or bee suit as I used to do. I often wear a veil, but sometimes forget. I will put on a long sleeve shirt to protect me from..................the sun.
It is amazing to me the difference. Bees used to by very difficult except in the morning with good weather. Now it just doesn't matter. I can open my hives and not get jumped no matter the time or weather.
These bees are definitely not naturally selected. Man (or woman) has manipulated them. The only problem is that I am no longer willing to leave them anywhere but behind a locked gate. Funny how that works.
FYI, I do keep my bees in a major queen rearing location.


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## Struttinbuck (Mar 8, 2020)

GregV said:


> In addition, many a beekeeper seem to could lose some weight.
> Must be the too many carbs - too close to the very carb source.


Peanut butter and honey on toast is my cryptonite. lol.
Then bananas?
Too many possibilities.


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## bakerjw (Jun 7, 2021)

New member here and absorbing all that I can even from a discussion like this one. Last Sunday was the first time that I opened and inspected my first hive of captured swarm bees. I built a swarm trap, caught bees and they seem adapted, happy and not aggressive in the least. Very well behaved. In reading this thread, I can see some of the reasons why.
It was mid day, nice and bright.
I wasn't stealing honey.
There is no dearth.
I do wear gloves, a body suit and veil. Were I to accidentally get them in a panic, I don't want to do the dash to freedom but to be protected enough to get things back together and let them simmer down.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

Gino45 said:


> These bees are definitely not naturally selected. Man (or woman) has manipulated them.


The vast majority of all of our livestock and plant food sources have been genetically manipulated via artificial selection. This is not news, it is the whole goal of selective breeding programs. It has been going on for thousands of years. The grains we grow now bear little resemblance to the grains that grew 10,000 years ago.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

GregV said:


> In addition, many a beekeeper seem to could lose some weight.
> Must be the too many carbs - too close to the very carb source.


so I maybe should reduce the "sample size" I do need to "taste" the honey so I know if the bees are on the right spot.
maybe not 2 or 3 times a day.



GG


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

Gray Goose said:


> BTW Limes can be transmitted VIA body fluid.


Actually, it can't. It cannot be transmitted through sexual contact or via breast milk. Although it has been found that the bacteria _can_ live in stored, donated blood, there have been no documented cases of transmission by this route.



> good luck hope you do not have it but if you do the sooner you get started the better.


I've been watching carefully. Symptoms typically occur within a week of infection. Even if a tick was carrying the bacteria, it takes time to transmit a sufficient quantity to cause infection and these were all removed within a very short time (minutes to an hour or so). I should be OK. But I am using a lot more 100% DEET and keeping grass around the hives mowed more frequently.

My main concern is the increase in the intensity of the reaction, and the fact that I don't know what causes it and whether it's a Good Thing or a Bad Thing. It is possible that my immune response is increased since the Covax, and that the increased reaction is due to a more enhanced response to potential infection, which would be a Good Thing, but I lack data to confirm or negate the hypothesis. It might also be a response to particular proteins or other anticoagulant components, but I don't know enough about these things to judge...time for some education...


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

I have been doing a lot of bush-whacking over the years and so far have been lucky.
My bush-whacking last Sunday was the entire day (just a single cut-out I did took about 3 hours).
Ticks are all over.

It maybe one rule that I follow that helps:

once get home from the bush-whacking shed your clothes *asap* (ALL of them - no exceptions)
take shower *asap *and inspect yourself while at it

We find ticks in the house too - they are harmless when on the walls (must have fallen off me).


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

GregV said:


> We find ticks in the house too - they are harmless when on the walls (must have fallen off me).


Why does being on the wall make them harmless?
Some kind of special paint or wallpaper to render them harmless?


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

G3farms said:


> Why does being on the wall make them harmless?
> Some kind of special paint or wallpaper to render them harmless?


They don't really have a chance to jump onto someone from the wall.
People don't brush against the walls (not commonly).


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## David ryle (Dec 2, 2020)

shaneTX said:


> My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.
> 
> I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.
> 
> I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


If you think that's impressive, check out Richard Noel's videos, he has a lady friend in Hawaii checking colonies in shorts and a bikini top!!!


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

GregV said:


> People don't brush against the walls (not commonly).


Sometimes after a little communing with Ezra Brooks after a hard day in the field.
🥴


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> Sometimes after a little communing with Ezra Brooks after a hard day in the field.
> 🥴


No wonder you have a tick problem!
LOL


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

GregV said:


> No wonder you have a tick problem!
> LOL


Now that I think about it...we have some stuff that we put on the dog, that is supposed to kill any ticks that bite. In years past we would indeed find dead ticks on her every now and then, but in the last week or so we have pulled two off her that were partly inflated and not dead. So, maybe something about the ticks _has_ changed...either that, or we got a bum lot of the dope.


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## Struttinbuck (Mar 8, 2020)

2 years ago ,I had a tick dug so far into the back of my knee all you could see was tiny little legs sticking out a hole. I didn't know how serious it was and the little lady almost tore half the skin off trying to pull him out. Then the next day, I found a dead **** on the road, and I had a coonhound puppy. Well I decide it was time for some training. I cut the **** tail off, start playing around with the puppy with it. Him with puppy teeth and all. Hes gnawing all over the thing, I snag it from his mouth and make him jump for it, and he sinks his teeth right into my hand. Full depth puppy teeth.
Road kill germs all running through my blood. But I think it killed the tick germs. lol.
The new eyeball that appeared between my regular eyes was just temporary.
But the doctor said the petri dish burnt when they touched it with the cotton swab. So I'm good.


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## joebeewhisperer (May 13, 2020)

Struttinbuck said:


> Road kill germs all running through my blood.


Reminds me of my buddy Ken. When he was a teenager he would stay up for days and not eat, even before drugs (which came later in his life). He was rail-thin, and paid zero attention to taking care of himself. I once commented to him that I had never seen him sick. He said, "A parasite is looking for a host." ... Apparently, he was not going to make it easy on them.

It's time to call the old boy. Good night kids.



GregV said:


> In addition, many a beekeeper seem to could lose some weight.
> Must be the too many carbs - too close to the very carb source.


I don't discriminate. Carb, protein, occasional fiber. .... I wonder what we have in the kitchen. Mmmmm


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## HTB (Aug 12, 2020)

CCBEES said:


> This might just be my inexperience, but I just don't think bees are always that predictable either. I like to go sit next to my hives for a while and just watch what they are doing. Last year, and this year up until about a month ago they never paid any attention to me. Then one day I went to take a look and while 15 feet away one rogue bee flew directly at my face and stung me just inside my nose. No bumping or warning, no other agitated bees, just a banana burst inside my nose. The next day again just standing 15 feet away and out of the flight line of the bees, one bee took a beeline for my eye and stung my eyelid. I have seen no other changes in the behavior of any of the colonies, and they have all remained docile whenever I am in the hive. Is it common every once in a while to have just a couple of pissy bees that are determined to ruin your day?


Yep.


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## Struttinbuck (Mar 8, 2020)

joebeewhisperer said:


> Reminds me of my buddy Ken. When he was a teenager he would stay up for days and not eat, even before drugs (which came later in his life). He was rail-thin, and paid zero attention to taking care of himself. I once commented to him that I had never seen him sick. He said, "A parasite is looking for a host." ... Apparently, he was not going to make it easy on them.
> 
> It's time to call the old boy. Good night kids.
> 
> ...


Just raised in different times. Lol. Had plenty of big gash cuts but never a stitch. We would always nick ourselves skinning hides when we were trapping as kids. We would get ticks all over us. Leeches. You name it. One time we had a litter of puppies that got mango worms all through them. My dad just had us start popping them all out. He poured peroxide on the wounds and every puppy lived. Those mango worms is prolly the worst thing I've dealt with. Either that or a chicken farm with the exhaust fans not working.


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## bushpilot (May 14, 2017)

Struttinbuck said:


> Just raised in different times. Lol. Had plenty of big gash cuts but never a stitch. We would always nick ourselves skinning hides when we were trapping as kids. We would get ticks all over us. Leeches. You name it. One time we had a litter of puppies that got mango worms all through them. My dad just had us start popping them all out. He poured peroxide on the wounds and every puppy lived. Those mango worms is prolly the worst thing I've dealt with. Either that or a chicken farm with the exhaust fans not working.


Where did you live to get mango worms on your pups? We had them on our dogs in Africa, and I got them in my arm a couple of times. And jiggers under the toe nails...


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## Struttinbuck (Mar 8, 2020)

bushpilot said:


> Where did you live to get mango worms on your pups? We had them on our dogs in Africa, and I got them in my arm a couple of times. And jiggers under the toe nails...


We have them here too. If they are from a Bot fly.. They look like a bee The puppies momma was trying to carry them around by the back legs. It was her first litter. And we think she may have nicked up their back legs. All the muscle in their back legs were gone. Some of those little pups had 20-30 maggot looking worms all under their skin. And our Dad just started popping them all out like zits. Thank God I was a little older for that one. Probably 14. And yea he had me and my brother in there popping worms out too. That and pulling ticks off of dogs was gross too. It was in N.E. Ohio


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## Tumbleweed (Mar 17, 2021)

missybee said:


> We had a nice gentle hive one day the next time we went out I was covered with bees from head to toe. We do not have africanized here.
> 
> I never work without protection, some hives totally ignore you, right now we have one hive that hunts us down in the yard to sting us. One bee flew straight at me and stung me between the eyes, I was around 75 feet from the hives. They swarm out if you even touch the hive. That one is being requeened, again, as soon as our short nectar flow is over.
> 
> My guess is they smoke them up good, spray with sugar water, then film.


this ^


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## barnaby (May 2, 2016)

AHudd said:


> I watched a few of those videos a few days ago and was thinking along the same lines as you. I thought they probably went in there fully suited first to be sure they were not AFB.
> 
> Alex


I don't think there are any swarms in Texas that aren't Africanized to some extent. Also my experience with bees in LA is that swarms are gentle regardless of their genetics. Their defensiveness becomes apparent in time.


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## OLD KENTUCKY (Feb 18, 2021)

I had a good friend who always worked his bees with NO protection and just sugar water. One day he wound up with 26 stings and eyes swollen shut. If I'm going to take a frame out, then I wear a veil. I do not use gloves, but I get a few stings on my fingers. If I'm going into the hive, I ALWAYS use smoke. I'm no hero, and I don't like to be stung in the face. OLD KENTUCKY!


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## SoCalBeek (Apr 2, 2017)

Shane, it depends on your bees. You're in Texas-- do you have africanized bees (common in Texas, NM, AZ, lower half of Calif)? They are often on the far end of the 'nice' scale. (I had several hives in SoCal, they are defensive, VERY persistent, and believe in attacking in numbers. Working them was Not Fun, and I always suited up. Sometimes they waited for 40 minutes for me to show some skin. Just waited.)
You know your bees--if you can't work them without protection, DON'T. If it's a hive from a feral swarm or they left a virgin queen who mated with africanized drones, there is a good chance they're not going to take your presence well. If others can work their bees in tshirts and shorts-- that's great. They may live in an area where Nice Bees are the rule, or they may have re-queened with a docile queen. 
You do what you have to do to protect yourself. (Maybe invite your family to help.....)
Good luck.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

barnaby said:


> I don't think there are any swarms in Texas that aren't Africanized to some extent. Also my experience with bees in LA is that swarms are gentle regardless of their genetics. Their defensiveness becomes apparent in time.


That may be true to a certain extent, but she is doing cutouts.


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

I don't care how cute she is on youtube, a swollen lip looks ugly on everyone.


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## hickdriller (Apr 27, 2016)

username00101 said:


> I don't care how cute she is on youtube, a swollen lip looks ugly on everyone.


Don't ever think bee's can't kill you. A guy near me never was one to use a jacket. He was checking on his bee's a bear had been into them. They found him next to his 4 wheeler with over 500 stings dead. Here in Pennsylvania a few years back.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

AHudd said:


> That may be true to a certain extent, but she is doing cutouts.


I have never seen the videos, but you have hit on something right there. When doing cut outs after you get most of the foragers sucked into the bee vac the hive will start to settle down a little, almost like they sense they are defeated and kind of give up. At least that is what I see and have done many many cutouts over the years. 
Again, wear what is comfortable to you, I let the bees tell me what to wear. Sometimes just a t shirt, other times get the suit on and pack the smoker, and still other times put the lid on them and come back another day.

Bees are just like people, they have good days and bad days, some are even tempered and others are just ill from the get go.

Do be careful and mindful when working bees, and if you don't wear protection at least have it handy when you do. It's no fun getting stung but that is going to happen when you mess with flying stinging insects.

Good luck in all of you bee adventures.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Here's the thing... 
You don't wear a veil for the normal inspections. Just like you don't wear your seatbelt for 99.99% of the drives you'll ever take in your life. You wear it for the time a frame slips out of your hands. Or the time a hive is suddenly queenless. Or one that had a skunk scratching on the entrance for a half an hour the night before.
I'd venture to guess that almost anyone here "could" work bees without a veil and be fine the vast majority of the time. 

That said, it's obviously everyone's choice to do as they please individually and as long as I'm not paying for your treatment when it goes sideways... I guess I don't really care.
But this kind of silliness is why I have teachers contacting me asking if they can take their class of 20-some kids to my apiary for me to show them inside my hives. Now, I think it's great that they want to expose their students to bees and beekeeping. But I think a lot of that is driven by these types of internet sensations. 
My wife saw one of her videos a long time ago and showed me and I immediately said "that's fake". Anyone with half a brain should be able to spot these things, beekeeper or not.


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

Interesting, never heard of anyone getting killed by honey bees in the Northeast.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

G3farms said:


> I have never seen the videos, but you have hit on something right there. When doing cut outs after you get most of the foragers sucked into the bee vac the hive will start to settle down a little, almost like they sense they are defeated and kind of give up. At least that is what I see and have done many many cutouts over the years.
> Again, wear what is comfortable to you, I let the bees tell me what to wear. Sometimes just a t shirt, other times get the suit on and pack the smoker, and still other times put the lid on them and come back another day.
> 
> Bees are just like people, they have good days and bad days, some are even tempered and others are just ill from the get go.
> ...


Earlier someone touched upon the appearance that most of the cutting out had been done before the filming begins, how far before is anyone's guess.


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## niland (May 1, 2020)

I'm too new at this to get an opinion, but I tend to avoid protection unless I'm digging around in the brood chamber. Then a veil and doubled nitrile gloves. On the other hand, I get a sting two times out of three. I'm betting that as the brood boxes fill up and the number of bees swell this will not be possible.

Still I'm pretty lazy, and I don't like the heat...so I'll probably keep tempting fate!


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## Nutmg1 (May 5, 2021)

CCBEES said:


> This might just be my inexperience, but I just don't think bees are always that predictable either. I like to go sit next to my hives for a while and just watch what they are doing. Last year, and this year up until about a month ago they never paid any attention to me. Then one day I went to take a look and while 15 feet away one rogue bee flew directly at my face and stung me just inside my nose. No bumping or warning, no other agitated bees, just a banana burst inside my nose. The next day again just standing 15 feet away and out of the flight line of the bees, one bee took a beeline for my eye and stung my eyelid. I have seen no other changes in the behavior of any of the colonies, and they have all remained docile whenever I am in the hive. Is it common every once in a while to have just a couple of pissy bees that are determined to ruin your day?



I have experienced the one crazy bee flying right for my face several times for no reason at all. I would love to know what triggers that when your 30 feet from the hives. It happens to me a couple times a year.


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## HTB (Aug 12, 2020)

Nutmg1 said:


> I have experienced the one crazy bee flying right for my face several times for no reason at all. I would love to know what triggers that when your 30 feet from the hives. It happens to me a couple times a year.


This has been happening to me for the past month or so. I have 10 colonies at home behind my house but the lone bee has been harassing me in front where we park our cars. If I'm standing near the hives or doing inspections they're acting normal but for some reason there is a single bee most days that is just not nice. One got me just above the temple last week and it was the worst sting I've had by far, it hurt for a while and sent a pain into my jaw for several minutes. That particular bee was solid black and I have a fair amount of those in most of my colonies. I'm wondering if certain offspring can be more aggressive than their sisters, for instance if only one drone the queen mated with was from a genetic line with overly defensive traits.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

That bee could be having been harassed by robbers for the last three days. Or there could have been a, as I noted above, a pest or something screwing with them all night long. There's some days I'll show up during dearth and be dreading cracking open a hive because I 'know' they're going to be mad. And sometimes they're just little kittens. 

And sometimes during flows I'll go in thinking "man, they're going to be happy today!" and I'll get dinged in the eyebrow when I open the door of the truck. 

I've had gatherings for bee clubs at one of my apiaries several times or had people come through to see 'how I do things' and universally everyone always raves about how nice my bees are. And they almost always are. Almost always the reason I get stung is careless finger or hand placement and I pinch them.


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## Bane (Apr 15, 2019)

shaneTX said:


> My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.
> 
> I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.
> 
> I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


I suspect that not only does she have great skill and patience, she also has a very innate sense of calm working with bees. I have seen a few videos where she does have some gear on, but she is always so very placid and calm working with the bees. Absolutely a kick in the pants to watch her working. 
I usually try to be completely relaxed and the more successful I am at that, the less aggressive they tend to be, so far.


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## viper9229 (May 17, 2021)

shaneTX said:


> My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.
> 
> I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.
> 
> I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


Hello there,
I am a first year beekeeper and after watching this video I am able to work with my 10 hives without any stings.
It just involves not making any sudden movement is what I have learned.


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

Also keep in mind that Erika doesn't post the videos where she gets the **** stung out of her face.


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## Deens Bees (Feb 11, 2021)

shaneTX said:


> My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.
> 
> I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.
> 
> I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


Do whatever you are comfortable with. If your relaxed and move slow, the bees usually react in kind. If your nervous and flinching, your bees will react. I always wear a veil and thin rubber gloves at least. When it’s really hot I may go with shorts but my eyes/face are always protected.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I've worked bees many times with Sam Comfort. I've only seen him put on a veil once and it was only a veil... he had on shorts and a tee shirt and a veil that one time. The rest of the time it's shorts and a tee shirt... This is nothing new. Many people have done this for more than a century that I know of... I don't...


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## SeaCucumber (Jun 5, 2014)

me: 10% of the time suit, 1% veil
Don't waste time being nice.


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## J&J Bees (Jun 10, 2019)

shaneTX said:


> My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.
> 
> I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.
> 
> I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


I feel brave wearing those nitrate gloves and always a jacket/hood.


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## shaneTX (Jun 7, 2016)

J&J Bees said:


> I feel brave wearing those nitrate gloves and always a jacket/hood.


Love thIs. Same


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## pbuttry (Jun 29, 2021)

I have one hive that is 50-50 on how they act from day to day. Some days you can change the jar on the entrance feeder without any problems. Then other days you have to suit up. 
min my opinion, I spent money on a suit and don’t have any problem using it. All it takes is one sting around the eye and you’ll be in a lot of pain. I prefer to be safe than sorry.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

LOL… Erika is right smack dab in the middle of ABH country, as are a couple of us. I work my bees in a vented jacket and veil, and continue to do so. I have helped remove ABH, Re- Queened ABH etc. most the time Erika is removing swarms and as stated above they don’t show everything. Still it’s pretty gutsy in TX, good way to end up like Siegfried & Roy in my opinion. I have bees I could work without protection, but see no need to as I use a lot of Survivor Stock from the West Texas area and that’s just asking for it around here.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

GFWestTexas said:


> LOL… Erika is right smack dab in the middle of ABH country, as are a couple of us. I work my bees in a vented jacket and veil, and continue to do so. I have helped remove ABH, Re- Queened ABH etc. most the time Erika is removing swarms and as stated above they don’t show everything. Still it’s pretty gutsy in TX, good way to end up like Siegfried & Roy in my opinion. I have bees I could work without protection, but see no need to as I use a lot of Survivor Stock from the West Texas area and that’s just asking for it around here.


There was another... um... guy on YouTube (and Facebook). Luis something, I think. I believe he was also down in TX. Doing cutouts wearing nothing but jeans (no shirt or anything). Not sure what happened to him. Someone I know actually went to visit him or he came through the area and visited (I can't remember which). But there's a handful that were treating him like a god. I always thought that I'd eventually learn he got killed "doing what he loved".


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## Arnie (Jan 30, 2014)

She's making those videos to promote her business. It's advertising, and seems to be working well.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

jwcarlson said:


> There was another... um... guy on YouTube (and Facebook). Luis something, I think. I believe he was also down in TX. Doing cutouts wearing nothing but jeans (no shirt or anything). Not sure what happened to him. Someone I know actually went to visit him or he came through the area and visited (I can't remember which). But there's a handful that were treating him like a god. I always thought that I'd eventually learn he got killed "doing what he loved".


Luis Slayton, yeah but that guy gets stung, quite a bit, and least you see him smoking the heck out of bees. Erika it’s amazing that bees aren’t all up in her hair, makeup running down her face etc. Just fairly unrealistic, Luis I don’t know maybe he likes the pain, after a couple of stings I tend to get a little pithy myself, so I’ll stick with vented jacket, veil, and nitrile gloves.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

GFWestTexas said:


> Luis Slayton, yeah but that guy gets stung, quite a bit, and least you see him smoking the heck out of bees. Erika it’s amazing that bees aren’t all up in her hair, makeup running down her face etc. Just fairly unrealistic, Luis I don’t know maybe he likes the pain, after a couple of stings I tend to get a little pithy myself, so I’ll stick with vented jacket, veil, and nitrile gloves.


There ya go, that's the guy. I can honestly say I've never watched one of his videos, so I don't know if he's getting stung or not or using smoke... 

I get stung quite a bit, most times I don't get stung at all, but they seem to come in clusters. But Sunday after three straight days of cool, drippy rainy weather I need to catch some attendants and I got stung a lot on Sunday.  Part of the 'job'. 



Arnie said:


> She's making those videos to promote her business. It's advertising, and seems to be working well.


Absolutely. I don't know how much you can make on TikTok, but there's likely money involved. And additionally, she's probably sold out of honey


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## gator75 (Apr 21, 2021)

J&J Bees said:


> I feel brave wearing those nitrate gloves and always a jacket/hood.


I tried the nitrile gloves about a week ago hoping to pick up frames easier on a hot hive. It took 2.5 seconds to get a sting on the end of my finger. Back to leather.


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## Newbeek2021 (May 13, 2021)

Glad i just heard you say that...i was literally going to switch to nitile tonight. They say they are less likely to sting through it due to it feeling like a foreign texture. Typically i use leather. 
Its not that i mind the pain of a sting but my body shows me it doesnt care for it. Guaranteed swelling & itching , normally 3-5" radius around the sting & it lasts for 3 days...so i try to avoid being stung whenever i can. _sigh_ guess ill forgo the dexterity & stick with leather gloves


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

gator75 said:


> I tried the nitrile gloves about a week ago hoping to pick up frames easier on a hot hive. It took 2.5 seconds to get a sting on the end of my finger. Back to leather.


Greatly depends on what hive I am playing with, they will get you occasionally using the nitrile glove, but for the most part when first started using them I found that less bees where killed by my clumsy fingers which in turn made hives I considered moderate in temperament quite gentle. But if I am messing with certain hives, the leather go’s on. Plus it takes some time to learn to work around your bees without causing accidental squish which tends to set off pheromones.
Plus you really do need to get stung, once in a while if you want to work bees.


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## gator75 (Apr 21, 2021)

To be clear, I get stung plenty enough. I think the nitrile gloves will work on calmer hives and they do help in preventing clumsy destruction of bees. I just wasn't expecting to get hit that quickly with them on. Haha. At least the finger tips to me is the least sensitive place to get stung.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

Bane said:


> I suspect that not only does she have great skill and patience, she also has a very innate sense of calm working with bees. I have seen a few videos where she does have some gear on, but she is always so very placid and calm working with the bees. Absolutely a kick in the pants to watch her working.
> I usually try to be completely relaxed and the more successful I am at that, the less aggressive they tend to be, so far.


🤣 Ok not to be rude, but maybe you need to take a look at what we are speaking of. Here is good video of Africanization I don’t care how calm you are, You aren’t walking away. Just incase no this is not me.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Oh yeah, that looks like a lot of fun!

Alex


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

Yeah, you don’t just walk up to do a cut out in TX. As soon as you cut into the floor or wall, break a board or disturb the hive. If they are Africanized they are coming for you, and a second chance to suit up, well it’s highly unlikely. AZ, CA any state with AHB, you would have to be ignorant, or suicidal to go unsuited into a removal.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

LOL that looks like the little black German bees I use to keep. 
Never more glad to see them die out.


----------



## Gino45 (Apr 6, 2012)

viper9229 said:


> Hello there,
> I am a first year beekeeper and after watching this video I am able to work with my 10 hives without any stings.
> It just involves not making any sudden movement is what I have learned.


Really, it depends on the bees you are working with. Bee breeders have long selected for not stinging, and thus there are bees that one can work without getting attacked.
There are also bees that will jump all over you, and others that are in between the 2 extremes. What I do know is that once the bee venom smell gets in the air, the chances for additional stings increase greatly.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

True but many bee breeders are in the South, and with AHB, regardless of how we try aside from instrumental insemination there is no guarantee of zero AHB genetics. That being said you can’t take the chance here in TX and many other states. Erica is Texas beekeeper.


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## Josiah Garber (May 22, 2013)

shaneTX said:


> My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.
> 
> I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.
> 
> I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


I am sure they are very good at what they do. However, one way to to do this would be to only post the videos where you don't get stung.


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## bushpilot (May 14, 2017)

GFWestTexas said:


> 🤣 Ok not to be rude, but maybe you need to take a look at what we are speaking of. Here is good video of Africanization I don’t care how calm you are, You aren’t walking away. Just incase no this is not me.


That colony would see a hot soapy bath if it were mine. Nothing calms them like a bath.


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## Bowleg (Jul 17, 2021)

shaneTX said:


> My family always asked me how come this lady can work her bees without protection.
> 
> I don’t know if I should be in awe or wonder whats wrong with my bees? My Texas bees are never trust worthy enough to not use protection.
> 
> I see people on YouTube work their bees with a T-shirt and a veil but man I swear my bees know exactly where my eyes are.


Just a couple of months after becoming a new beekeeper with 2 hives, i lost a queen and had to requeen. A few days later, i was going to crack the top open and retrieve the empty queen cage ( I was confident she was released, and was). My wife kept telling me to get my veil on. Being a man, i kept telling her that i will be fine....just craking open the top and pulling out the cage real quick. When the top came open, i heard the pitch of the buzzing increase and thought, oh crap. It only took a couple of minutes to get the cage, but in that time, one bee tagged me in the forehead, then another one got me on the back of the neck. From then on, i started listening to my wife!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Bowleg said:


> Being a man,......


And hopefully this turned you into a "wiser man".


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Newbeek2021 said:


> .i was literally going to switch to nitile tonight. They say they are less likely to sting through it due to it feeling like a foreign texture.


Nothing wrong with nitrile gloves.
With those you usually get shallow stings, not the deep stings.
In fact, you want the nitrile gloves (vs. the leaky leather) on when handling chemicals, e.g. OA.

There are proper times for everything - bear hands (handling queens and other fine work), nitrile (chems), leather (for any kind of rough work).
You don't switch to this or that - you do what is appropriate for the situation and your tolerance.


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## Newbeek2021 (May 13, 2021)

I guess ill have to give it a go just so i know how bad the sting will be. My leather ones have been taking a beating and ive heard once so many stings fill a glove then their basically pheremone ridden, immediately makes them angry. And since washing leather wouldnt work real well....yea


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Newbeek2021 said:


> I guess ill have to give it a go just so i know how bad the sting will be. My leather ones have been taking a beating and *ive heard once so many stings fill a glove then their basically pheremone ridden, immediately makes them angry.* And since washing leather wouldnt work real well....yea


You smoke your gloves repeatedly to mask the sting smell.

But frankly, if your gloves are covered in stings, I wonder why are you even there and what is it of the importance that you are doing to be covered in the stings.
Call me sheepish, but if the bees tell me it is a bad day to get inside, I just back off.
Somehow things still get done, just later or some other way...

But I also left some bees alone 'cause they just did not want me there - it is just fine, I got plenty of other things to worry about.

If anything that needs done urgently and time sensitive, that usually involves smaller colonies or swarms, and the bees are not that feisty anyway.
With the large colonies, there is seldom the urgency - you may just work the honey without getting into the nest (not too bad).
Of the honey may even wait as well, it does not spoil.

Late last night checked my largest unit (just to verify the young queen is laying) - 5 mins is enough for that, before they get too riled up because it is late and everyone is at home and lots of bees are looking at you.
Plenty of smoke and plenty of water spray and keep them covered - in and out.


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## Newbeek2021 (May 13, 2021)

That would be due to crappy work hours & crappy weather here in good ol PA 
I can count on one hand how many "nice days/times of the day" ive been able to get into my hives. 
More often than not its after 6pm or before 7am, cloudy days, 90+ days etc etc. Like the literal worst times to be in a hive is usually the only time i have to do it. 

But i wont be deterred! Just take the stings & the aggression & do what i have to do. Which includes sometimes walking away shaking my head thinking "their so angry ,todays not the day"


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## Bowleg (Jul 17, 2021)

GregV said:


> And hopefully this turned you into a "wiser man".


Every time i go into my hives, i gain a little more wisdom.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Newbeek2021 said:


> That would be due to crappy work hours & crappy weather here in good ol PA
> I can count on one hand how many "nice days/times of the day" ive been able to get into my hives.
> More often than not its after 6pm or before 7am, cloudy days, 90+ days etc etc. Like the literal worst times to be in a hive is usually the only time i have to do it.
> 
> But i wont be deterred! Just take the stings & the aggression & do what i have to do. Which includes sometimes walking away shaking my head thinking "their so angry ,todays not the day"


I work bees after 6pm routinely (have a day job like the most).
Just have to "read" your bees, know your priorities, and also know which bees you can kick about but which bees best left alone.
Anyway, my face is important to me, it is too pretty.  And a mosquito netting in Walmart costs only $3-4 - why not have one in your pocket?
But the hands can take some abuse.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

I like the nitrile gloves. I find I am much less clumsy with them and can feel most bees before squishing them, this in turn keeps the bees from becoming angry as quickly.

Alex


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

Newbeek2021 said:


> I guess ill have to give it a go just so i know how bad the sting will be. My leather ones have been taking a beating and ive heard once so many stings fill a glove then their basically pheremone ridden, immediately makes them angry. And since washing leather wouldnt work real well....yea


I've had the same leather gloves for ten, no maybe eight or nine years (I lost the first pair hanging over the side of the truck bed while moving nucs), getting a little thin in spots. Used to be white, now they're mostly brown, and stiff until I get my hands in there and get them warmed up. There's so much honey, wax and propolis smell to them it over-powers the stings. The little buggers actually seem to be attracted to to them (in a friendly way). I use them for the formic acid strips too.

I should probably get a new pair to have on hand when these wear through.


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## gator75 (Apr 21, 2021)

Newbeek2021 said:


> I guess ill have to give it a go just so i know how bad the sting will be. My leather ones have been taking a beating and ive heard once so many stings fill a glove then their basically pheremone ridden, immediately makes them angry. And since washing leather wouldnt work real well....yea


I wash mine often. Air dry. Seem to be holding up fine.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

gator75 said:


> I wash mine often. Air dry. Seem to be holding up fine.


Someone has time for this. 

Mine will be just replaced when I have too many holes and they get too crusty.

I will NOT toss my old gloves - I will use them as bee attractant in swarm traps.
They are so nicely infused and soken through with propolis/wax/bee stings - it is just straight foolish to toss them.
They get stapled directly to a trap and will keep working for many years to come.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

GregV said:


> Someone has time for this.
> 
> Mine will be just replaced when I have too many holes and they get too crusty.
> 
> ...


Never thought of using my old gloves for traps, I am making a glove bin. That is awesome.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

GFWestTexas said:


> Never thought of using my old gloves for traps, I am making a glove bin. That is awesome.


Yeah.
The same for the nasty looking jacket too.
Not quite ready yet though.
When will be about ready, I might just melt some slum gum into it.
Then it will be ready for traps too.
LOL

Gotta have that jacket though.
I can not afford to work in my fancy-pancy office business casual dress....


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

At the risk of offense, I apologize in advance, but it’s just an opinion. Still to end the matter at hand, what’s the deal with Erika. Truth is she is a very attractive female, dealing with bees, and sex sells like it or not. No one cares if it was cut, or a safe practice, until some little girl/ boy who idolizes her gets stung to death. Then suddenly it all comes to end or does it? Well that’s the world we live in! $$$$,,,,$$$$ With that said can’t wait to cut up some gloves next spring!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

GregV said:


> Mine will be just replaced when I have too many holes and they get too crusty.


Still not enough holes; way to go yet.
Aren't these pretty? LOL


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## Newbeek2021 (May 13, 2021)

Greg those have enough wax & propolis on them if you were to leave them sit long enough the bees might draw comb on them 😂


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Newbeek2021 said:


> Greg those have enough wax & propolis on them if you were to leave them sit long enough the bees might draw comb on them 😂


I just wanted to give some folks the prospective of how the actually used gloves look like.

Granted I don't bother with PPE when checking the micro-nucs/mini-nucs (well, actually I do have mosquito netting on - the 'squitos are bothersome in shade).
But at least one hive I got is pretty annoying - they don't sting, if properly worked, but they keep hitting into the face and stay at it and are really bothersome that way.
I would not work these guys buck naked just in case.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

Time for some new gloves Greg,😂 My girls would be running up down the inside of my gloves, with the stings coming from my accidental crushing of them trying to move. I think I would be better off going no gloves at all.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

GFWestTexas said:


> Time for some new gloves Greg,😂 My girls would be running up down the inside of my gloves, with the stings coming from my accidental crushing of them trying to move. I think I would be better off going no gloves at all.


Will see.
Am thinking about it every time I pull them on - when dry and crusty they are a pain.
But then you sweat a little and they soften up and are good again. 
Holes on finger tips are fine; bees don't get into them.
Maybe they smell good to the bees, hardly any stings that I get.

More important is to tuck your shirt into your pants!
Last Saturday I got too relaxed and one bugger got under my shirt and ran all over me.
Well, whatever. No need to scream about.
Eventually she crawled out through a sleeve and flew off - nice to have some calm bees.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Is this her?
The "whisperer"?
People from my other social group sent me this - sort of like WOW.

Beehive transplant - GIFs - Imgur


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## birddog (May 10, 2016)

She's the one.


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

I don't know what all the fuss is about - working bees without protection is common enough in Slovenia and parts of Germany/Austria where Carnies are kept.

I currently have several 'once-upon-a-time' Carnie colonies which can be fully inspected at any time of the year and in any weather without the need for smoke or any protection whatsoever - but - I choose to wear at least a veil when in the apiary because I have other colonies nearby which can't (be inspected like that). 

When opening a hive I usually wear light rubber gloves, mainly because my hands swell-up badly when stung, unlike other parts of my body. Ok - so maybe that makes me a 'wus', or as we call 'em in Britain, "a Big Girl's Blouse", but I'm not sure that I really care much about what other people think ...

So - if you have easy-to-work bees, then go Commando - if you don't, then wear whatever you need to. I once kept AMM here, and had to dress-up like a medieval knight, Wellington boots, the lot ! These days I don't even own a bee suit. 
LJ


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

little_john said:


> I don't know what all the fuss is about - working bees without protection is common enough in Slovenia and parts of Germany/Austria where Carnies are kept.


LJ, she is from TX as I understand.

In TX you don't freely plow into a bee colony found under some playground floor (just in case).
And yet - this is the message for the internet viewing crowd.


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## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

I don't see how anyone working bees without protective equipment is a sign that they are necessarily good beekeepers or even a 'whisperer.'

IMO the gentleness is a reflection on the bees, not on herself. But it is worth noting that on her official site she is wearing a veil so the hype might be from those who do not know much about bees and not from herself.



GregB said:


> In TX you don't freely plow into a bee colony found under some playground floor (just in case).
> And yet - this is the message for the internet viewing crowd.


I am a highly skeptical internet viewer, so if I would see someone freely plowing into a colony found under a playground floor and it is from a highly visible beekeeper who makes their money off of viewership as well as their fame of being 'special' because they are able to work bees without protection, my first reaction is that someone probably assessed the hive temperament ( especially in an Africanized honey bee area) before they attempted the action. 

ETA, here is the excerpt from her site. She does wear protective gear and the hype is from viewership not herself. 

_Erika always wears protective equipment when she needs to and she always recommends that beekeepers wear protective equipment when working with bees. Erika has over 10 years of experience as a beekeeper and she is an expert in her field. She always takes the time and care to study the bees before entering their hive in order to assess their behavior. If the bees will allow for it, she is just more comfortable wearing less protective gear and this is simply her favorite way to be with bees. Erika feels that she can work with bees in a better way when she has full visibility, mobility and dexterity, which the protective suits and veils don’t allow for. She also lives and works in Texas, where it can get very hot, especially during the peak of bee season from April - September._FAQ | Bee Education to Save the Bees — Texas Beeworks


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

ursa_minor said:


> ETA, here is the excerpt from her site. She does wear protective gear and the hype is from viewership not herself.


She is very subtle and smart that way, ursa.


Still, she is in content generation business - and that very much depends on the hype.


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## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

GregB said:


> Still, she is in content generation business - and that very much depends on the hype.


Yup, I was trying to be moderate in my comments, IMO she is part of the hype, as it is in her best interest.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

ursa_minor said:


> I don't see how anyone working bees without protective equipment is a sign that they are necessarily good beekeepers or even a 'whisperer.'
> 
> IMO the gentleness is a reflection on the bees, not on herself. But it is worth noting that on her official site she is wearing a veil so the hype might be from those who do not know much about bees and not from herself.
> 
> ...


If I'm not mistaken that disclaimer was added after the initial brouhaha began.

Alex


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## A Novice (Sep 15, 2019)

Reality television (and its bastard children on the internet) isn't real.

Totally fake, staged, and made up.

example: "Wouldn't it be cool to do a cutout from under a playground? We get the kid angle, and the anxious moms angle... There's a playground over at X school, we can rent it for the summer for $5K. Take some really nice Italians, pull up the decking and attach some combs with a queen and brood under decking. In a month or so there should be enough bees. If not, we can work with what we get and use stock footage to make it look bigger. Make sure we have a few child actors to make the playground look legit. Some little bikes would be a nice touch...."

So don't ask me about Santa Claus...


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

But you need the fire department in full turn out gear, an ambulance and of course several loads of cop cars and maybe even the swat team just in case.

Then tell the audience that all of the bystanders who are only feet away and have no protective gear on how allergic they are to bee stings.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

A Novice said:


> Reality television (and its bastard children on the internet) isn't real.
> 
> Totally fake, staged, and made up.
> 
> ...


That is going too far! Leave Santa Claus alone or you'll get a lump of coal in your stocking!

I do agree with how little resemblance there is to reality.


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## Arnie (Jan 30, 2014)

You guys are kinda harsh. 
It's probably a pretty good guess she's not making videos for fellow beekeepers. 🙂

Her videos are entertainment. And she's good at it. 

I was in the restaurant business for many years and for a while we had a cooking show on the local cable access channel. Kinda like Wayne's World with me in the kitchen. 
It was fun, but also it was hours and hours of work. 
Hours to set up the kitchen and do the "shoot" , then more hours of editing. 
We won an award for best of 'How To" show.

Erika makes good quality videos that are entertaining. I bet she gets stung sometimes or drops a frame or fumbles a lid now and then. 
All that is edited out.

Apparently she has 10 million Tik Tok followers. Not too shabby 
I'm guessing curmudgeonly beekeepers are not a large portion of that number. 

So be it.


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