[CH] Beekeeper dies after 50 stings
Akiva Kotler (akiva@barak-online.net)
Wed, 15 Sep 1999 02:29:12 +0200
Beekeeper dies after 50 stings
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - An 83-year-old beekeeper attacked two weeks ago by
a swarm of Africanized "killer" bees has died. Virgil Foster was believed to
be the first person in California killed in an attack of "killer" bees, and
the seventh in the Southwest. But a decision on the cause of his death
awaits an autopsy by the Los Angeles County coroner. Foster died Saturday.
He was mowing his lawn Aug. 31 when he was stung at least 50 times by the
highly aggressive bees, which had taken over hives on his property.
"Multiple stings represent a condition of an increasing number of doses of
bee toxins," city health officer Darryl Sexton said. "Africanized honeybees
and European honeybees have the same dosage of toxins. The lethalness comes
in the increasing number of stings." ###
My dear friends please do not think of me as a
hot-head,but................................................................
...............................
Killer bees were the product of cross-breeding. They are not regular
African bees. Humanity should never be over-confident. The general populous
should not be expected to"adapt" to the unbridled quest for profit. I do not
believe that this man "messed with the bees." Genetic tampering may have a
lot of potential, but in the wrong hands it is more scary than a Microsoft
Alfa program. Fortunately it seems that genetically altered crops are a bit
of a marketing flop outside the U.S.
End of sermon,
Akiva