Credit: Illustration by Ken Wong
ABSTRACT: The biology of the 'Beehave' phenomenon is now well understood. Bees are naturally sensitive to alarm pheromones from other insects. In the hybrid bees the sensitivity extended to human pheromones. When humans become angry or upset the hybrid bees misread the pheromones as an alarm.
There has been less attention to the social-scientific history. Perhaps the best investigation to date is the work of the Entomology Section of the National Science Research Centre, from which the following is taken.
Item 1: Diary of Lorraine Houston - March 11, Marfa, Texas
Lorraine Houston, age 14, was attending a local horse show and witnessed one of the first stingings by a Beehave bee. Her diary entry was later used as evidence in the divorce of her friend's parents, thereby becoming the earliest known record of the phenomenon.
Kate and I were at the 4H show, outside the ring watching Sarah ride Buck over the jumps but Sarah's mom was being a total pain. Buck took down two fences, and Sarah's mom was just SCREAMING at Sarah. It was so LAME.
All of a sudden, Sarah's mom stopped yelling at Sarah and started jumping around, slapping at her arm and neck. She was yelling "get it off" and stuff like that a bunch of times.
Kimmi and I started laughing but trying not to show it. Pretty much everyone thinks Sarah's mom is so much a pain, even Sarah's Dad says it sometimes. And it was kind of cool to see her jumping around because of the bees.
It seems likely that this is the first instance of the hybrid bees coming into contact with an emotionally volatile situation and reacting in the now-familiar pattern.
Item 2: From the Minutes of the Pecos County Health Council Monthly Meeting - March 26, Fort Stockton, Texas
West Texas authorities soon noticed a pattern of bee stings at public gatherings but failed to make the connection with human behaviour:
17. Several members of the Council commented on an apparent increase in bee stings this year compared to previous years.
Dr Springs commented that he had seen two similar cases. In one case, three drivers were stung at a road construction site. They were upset by the delay from the roadwork and were complaining to the crew when they were stung. In the other instance, a fight between two young boys at a swimming pool ended when both were stung.
Dr Martinez said several of his patients were stung at a reunion picnic. Two women started to argue about "who was the real tramp" in their high-school class. They started pushing and shoving before they were stung.
Item 3: Field Notes of Dr Norman Daniels - Odessa Agricultural and Cattleman's College - April 5, Abejo, Texas
Dr Daniels, a professor of apiculture at Odessa Ag College, became aware of a mass-stinging incident at a little league baseball game in nearby Abejo, Texas. He signed out the college research vehicle (a 1984 Ford utility) and went to investigate.
After finding nothing unusual at the ball field, Dr Daniels interviewed the umpire for the game, Wayne Earl. Because he tape-recorded this interview, Dr Daniels' field notes include Earl's comments verbatim.
