Bees sent to attack crows

Tokyo conservationists are using honeybees to fend off crows attacking vulnerable seabirds nesting near the international airport. The nonprofit Little Tern Project has installed hives of honeybees on the roof of the watertower where several thousand of the seabirds nest during migration. The bees came from the Ginza Bee Project, another nonprofit that teaches people about agriculture and beekeeping. From National Geographic:

"We spoke to an expert and learned that honeybees in the wild have the natural response of attacking a black object that comes near to their hive," (Ginza Bee Project chair Kazuo) Takayasu said.

"There have been tests with black and white balloons, and the bees always attack the black balloon."

It is believed that the bees' reaction is linked to the color of bears' fur. The insects apparently attack dark-colored creatures to protect their hives from plunder.

"We noticed that the bees swarmed around crows that were taking offerings from white plates left on the outdoor altar of a shrine in Ginza," Takayasu added.

Bees Enlisted to Attack Crows in Tokyo (National Geographic)

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

efergus3

And, later, we’ll bring in a few lions to control the gorillas.
ScribblingSquid

So, what happens to all of those Gothic Lolitas ?
Kibble

So *that’s* where our honeybees went.
gadfly

Great plan, until they decide to team up…
jmullan

EFERGUS,

Then you got gorillions:
http://www.scribbls.com/outcomes/Gorillions
toxonix

“honeybees … have a natural response of attacking a black object that comes near to their hive”

Hnybs ht blck ppl? Dmn tht’s rcst!
‘m nt t sprsd. ll f my dgs r bt rcst.
Takuan

and in a week the crows will learn when the bees are least active
RedMonkey

This reminds me of the Simpsons:

Homer: Bart, youâ€™re coming home.

Bart: I want to stay here with Mr. Burns.

Burns: I suggest you leave immediately.

Homer: Or what? Youâ€™ll release the dogs, or the bees, or the dogs with bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot bees at you? Well, go aheadâ€”do your worst!
Kibble

I loved the outtake that showed Mr. Burns releasing the robotic killer Richard Simmons. Now *that* will solve your crow problem right there.
Lobster

Needlesnakes! Needlesnakes!
Takuan

toxonix: WTF? explain carefully.
efergus3

A government spokesman seemingly in a rush to get to the airport with his overstuffed bags, stopped to make a statement. “Eventually we will import mutant Australian cane toads to control the lions. Trust us, we know what we’re doing.” We were unable to verify his statement in as all other top government employees seem to have left Japan on early vacations.
inger

That’s the last time I wear black to a funeral.
pyota

this is against natural selection. why interfere with nature?
Moltz

This also explains why the bees so vigorously attacked Winnie the Pooh when he rolled in mud to try to disguise himself as “a small black rain cloud”.
Modusoperandi

So, bees attack black things while being half black (black/yellow striped) themselves…

Is anyone else reminded of conservative Christianity’s attempts to (further) disenfranchise homosexuals?
cory

Man, if this were slashdot this would be tagged “whatcouldpossiblygowrong”

@Takuan #7: it’s actually not that unusual for animals to show a racial preference. They spend a lot of time around white people, then non-white people will smell like “other”, and they will respond to that. I’ve had a racist dog too, he was always very unfriendly to black people even though he seemed to be ok around most other people.
imipak

Bees rock. Aha! And here’s an opportunity for a small public service broadcast on behalf of the bees of the world :)

One of our neighbour’s hives threw off a cast (a small swarm) whilst he was on holiday, a few weeks back. It dunked itself down on a garden recliner on our lawn. They’re a very unaggressive and benign species; I was able to get up to three or four feet away, lying prone on my front, shoot off some video and then retreat, without any protection apart from socks over trouserlegs, elastic bands around my sleeves, and a thick jumper, without getting stung at all. (They were mostly hanging from the seat of the recliner, a foot or so above the surface.) The sight of a solid mass of insects, ranging from a few inches in diameter to a few feet, is amazing. If you get the chance, take it!

If you’re lucky enough to encounter a swarm (it’s the time of year in the N hemisphere), don’t panic – keep your distance and treat them with respect – call your local beekeeper’s association and they’ll be delighted to come and take them off your hands. If you do find yourself getting stung, especially if you’re nearby and unprotected, a swift retreat is a wise idea as the pheremones released will make others nearby more aggressive and likely to sting you. Where I live, the local council treat them as a pest and wade in with massive doses of chemical insecticides; a crime against nature IMHO.
Fatal Bert

Well, that takes care of the crow problem!

Now what do we do about all these bees?
efergus3

That’s what the gorillas are for. Please don’t bother them.
Takuan

I also belong to the Dog Clan. If a dog hates by colour, it is because Alpha decreed it.
jmullan

Let’s hope that they don’t mate instead and produce crow-sized bee offspring with a thirst for blood.

Artist’s conception:
http://www.scribbls.com/outcomes/Bee_Crows