Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
current events #2
Bees That
Drink Sweat From People’s Skin and Tears From People’s Eyes
Written by Sarah Zang
Urban sweat bees
have suddenly become more and more noticed for their unique way of getting
nutrients. After a recent entry in the Wall
Street Journal, this new species was noticed for its odd behavior. Found in
the heart of Brooklyn, they have been around for awhile, going unnoticed. These
urban sweat bees (Lasioglossum
gotham) are fairly common and unnoticeable, because
they are very tiny and they don’t sting. Many people just don’t notice these bees,
which is why they are not seen as a big threat. Scientists have discovered different
species of sweat bees in Thailand and have found that when using food items as
bait, these bees did not respond well either. When they used themselves as open
bait, the bees reacted differently; liking the nutrients they got from humans
the most. The results were captivating to many, either scaring or intriguing them.
In a detailed conclusion, a statement was made by scientists that said, “On landing, automatic blinking with the eye often prevented
the bee from getting a firm hold, causing it to fall off the eyelashes. If so,
the bee persistently tried again and again until it was successful, or finally
gave up and flew off. In a very few cases the approach was so gentle that the
host did not realize they had a sweat bee attached to their lid,
imbibing their tears. After landing and whilst sucking tears, the scientists often
could barely feel the presence of a bee; indeed, checking by mirror was then
required to make sure whether it was still there or had left. However, when
several bees were involved, the experience was rather unpleasant, causing
strong tear flow. Once a bee had settled and more were approaching, these
tended to settle near each other in a row. Closing the eye did not necessarily
dislodge bees but some continued to suck at the slit. They were even able to
find and settle at closed eyes.” It was hypothesized that bees use human tears
as a primary protein source, though salt may be part of this appeal. “Most people never notice these tiny insects,” says
the WSJ.
I feel that there should be something done to control
these bees. If it was a known fact that this type of bee existed in Brooklyn,
something should have been done to stop this bee. Drinking sweat and sucking
tears is not attractive, and it is not something humans should have to
tolerate. The actions of these bees are disturbing, frightful, and it gives you
chills to think about. Nobody should have to fear a bees sucking out their
tears as they simply walk through Brooklyn. More action should have been done
to prevent these bees from continuing what they are doing. If these bees were a
species known by scientists, why wasn’t something done to stop these bees? No
matter how tiny and how unnoticeable, these bees do suck the tears from people’s
eyes, and that is just unacceptable.
Picture of human eye with sweat bee: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/05/01/bees-that-drink-sweat-from-peoples-skin-and-tears-from-peoples-eyes/
Picture of sweat bee: http://mattbille.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-american-species-of-bee.
Article: Bees That Drink Sweat From People's Skin and Tears From People's Eyes
Author: Sarah Zang for Discover Magazine
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)