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Hysteria over magpies, bees unnecessary

Elisa Osborne, WannerooMelville Gazette

IT’S springtime, a time when birds and bees are happily flying and buzzing about.

I feel compelled to write this letter, being an enthusiastic nature lover myself, as there seems to be a lot of unnecessary hysteria created about swooping birds, (magpies in particular) and swarms of bees.

Firstly, with the birds, it’s nesting season and they are just doing what comes naturally to them to protect their young.

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We as humans would do the same if we felt our children were being threatened.

Secondly, with the bees, they are swarming at this time of year because it’s how they start new colonies.

Surprisingly, this is when they are at their most calm and less likely to sting, weighed down with the honey they’re carrying to start a new hive.

Australia is the last place on earth with a healthy honey bee population not affected by the devastating Varroa mite, a harmful pathogen affecting bee populations overseas.

Honey bees play a vital role in the food chain, pollinating most of our food crops we rely on to eat.

Without them, the world would simply starve to death.

So I am pleading with people to just relax and accept that this is nature and there really is no need to be afraid.

Respect them, keep your distance as much as possible, learn to love them and let them bee.

ELISA OSBORNE,

Wanneroo.