JRE #1908 – Erika Thompson

This podcast dives into the fascinating world of bees with Erika Thompson, founder of Texas Beeworks, a passionate advocate for bee education and awareness. The episode explores a range of topics, from the complex social structure and communication of bees to the ethical considerations of beekeeping. Underlying themes explore the importance of bees to our ecosystem, the impact of industrial agriculture, and the beauty and mystery of nature.

Podcast Topics:

1. Bee Communication and Social Structure:

• Bees communicate using scents, pheromones, and a complex waggle dance that conveys information about food sources and potential nest locations.
• The queen bee plays a crucial role in the colony’s social hierarchy, producing pheromones that maintain cohesion and control the colony’s behavior.
• Worker bees are predominantly female and have various roles, including foraging for food, building the hive, and caring for the queen and brood.
• Male bees, or drones, have a singular purpose: mating with a queen, after which they die, highlighting the stark differences in bee life spans and roles.

2. Beehive Construction and Engineering:

• Bees build hexagonal comb structures that are strong, efficient, and optimized for honey storage and brood rearing.
• The hexagonal shape of the comb maximizes space utilization and provides structural stability.
• The comb is built at an angle to prevent honey from leaking out, showcasing the bees’ advanced engineering capabilities.
• Bees create beeswax from glands on their abdomen, demonstrating the remarkable adaptability and sustainability of these creatures.

3. The Role of the Queen Bee:

• The queen bee is the sole reproductive organ of the colony, laying up to 2000 eggs per day.
• Worker bees care for the queen, feeding, cleaning, and attending to her needs, solidifying the concept of the queen as the linchpin of the colony.
• The colony, not the queen, ultimately decides when to replace the queen, often based on her pheromone strength and ability to lead.
• Queen bees can fight to the death with younger queens, demonstrating the fierce competitiveness and natural selection inherent within the bee world.

4. Erika Thompson’s Beekeeping Journey:

• Thompson’s love for bugs started in childhood, inspiring her to pursue a career in beekeeping.
• She learned beekeeping through hands-on experience, starting with small removals from water meter boxes and gradually taking on larger and more complex bee removal projects.
• Her passion for beekeeping led her to quit her full-time job as a communications director to become a full-time beekeeper, emphasizing the allure and rewarding nature of her chosen path.
• Thompson’s calm demeanor and gentle approach to bees has made her a viral sensation on social media, educating viewers about bee behavior and the importance of bee conservation.

5. The Importance of Bees to Our Ecosystem:

• Bees are vital pollinators, responsible for pollinating one out of every three bites of food we eat.
• Industrial agriculture practices, including monoculture cropping and pesticide use, pose significant threats to bee populations.
• The practice of shipping bees across the country for pollination services is a testament to their crucial role in our food system, but it also raises concerns about their welfare and exposure to harsh environments.
• Thompson encourages everyone to plant bee-friendly flowers and native plants in their gardens and yards, promoting habitat restoration and biodiversity.

6. Misconceptions About Bees:

• Local honey does not provide protection against allergies, despite popular belief, as bees collect pollen from a variety of plants.
• Cell phone signals are not considered a significant threat to bee populations, with more pressing concerns stemming from habitat loss, pesticide use, and industrial agriculture.
• Honeybees are not native to North America, having been introduced by European colonists, highlighting the impact of human intervention on ecosystems.
• The term “killer bees” is often used in a sensationalized and misleading manner, while the reality of Africanized bees is a hybrid species with more defensive behavior compared to European honeybees.

7. The Impact of Social Media:

• Thompson’s bee removal videos have gone viral on platforms like TikTok, garnering millions of views and elevating her profile as a bee expert.
• The reach of social media has allowed her to educate a vast audience about bees, dispel myths, and promote awareness of bee conservation.
• She has received numerous offers from production companies for television shows, but she prefers to maintain her independence and control over her content.
• Her decision to focus on independent content creation mirrors the success of creators like Mister Beast, emphasizing the potential of social media for direct connection and impact.

8. Ethical Considerations of Beekeeping:

• Thompson practices a beekeeping philosophy centered on “hives before honey,” prioritizing the health and well-being of her colonies over honey extraction.
• She acknowledges the ethical responsibility of beekeepers to minimize the impact of honey harvesting on the colony’s food supply, particularly during challenging seasons.
• The potential for adulterated honey in commercial markets highlights the importance of supporting local beekeepers and purchasing honey directly from the source.
• Thompson emphasizes the importance of mindful beekeeping practices, promoting a sustainable relationship between humans and these crucial pollinators.

9. The Biodiversity and Wonders of Insects:

• The episode highlights the vast diversity of wasps, including parasitic wasps that inject larvae into other insects, demonstrating the intricate relationships within the insect world.
• The Tarantula Hawk wasp is a fascinating example of a parasitic wasp that paralyzes a tarantula and lays eggs on its body, resulting in the larvae consuming the spider.
• The Varroa mite, a parasitic mite that infects honeybees, underscores the challenges facing bee populations, even from relatively small creatures.
• The cordyceps mushroom, a parasitic fungus that infects ants and other insects, exemplifies the intricate and often deadly interactions between fungi and their hosts.

10. The Importance of Connection with Nature:

• Thompson’s perspective on living in harmony with nature is evident in her passion for beekeeping and her desire to educate others about the importance of bees.
• The podcast explores the benefits of living closer to nature, embracing the rhythms of the seasons and appreciating the interconnectedness of all living things.
• The presence of coyotes in urban areas, even Central Park, highlights the adaptability of wildlife and the importance of understanding their role in our ecosystems.
• The episode underscores the value of fostering a respectful and understanding relationship with the natural world, recognizing the essential contributions of creatures like bees, wasps, and even coyotes to the balance of our planet.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Bees have been around for a 120,000,000 years. We’ve been keeping bees for maybe 10,000. You know, if if I were to think I knew more than the bees, that would be so foolish of me.” – Erika Thompson acknowledges the vast knowledge and wisdom possessed by bees, demonstrating her humility and respect for these creatures.
• “Bees live a very short lifespans. So sometimes they’ll just live out the rest of their bee life. And the bees that we see out in the world foraging, they’re at the end of their their short bee life.” – This quote highlights the dedication and sacrifice of worker bees, who dedicate their short lives to serving the colony.
• “Bees don’t have a nose like we think of a nose. They in, you know, their world very much exists through sense, but it’s not they don’t really have a nose like we do. You know, they even have they can taste through their feet.” – This surprising fact sheds light on the unique sensory capabilities of bees, revealing how their senses are adapted to their environment.
• “A queen bee will lay up to 2000 eggs per day. I mean, she’s an egg laying machine. That’s all she does. She doesn’t feed herself. She doesn’t clean herself. She’s the only bee that defecates in the in the hive.” – This humorous and insightful observation underscores the queen’s singular role as the colony’s reproducer and the dedication of worker bees to caring for her.
• “I love bees. Wow.” – This simple, heartfelt statement encapsulates Erika Thompson’s deep love and passion for these creatures, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of cherishing and protecting them.