bee nest on a tree @ bt batok nature park























i came across a bee nest on a tree at the edge of the pond at bukit batok nature park. as it was not a danger to the park users, i did not report it to the national park board. the hive is too far away from places where human activities are carried out for it to be disturbed or for the bees to pose a threat to people.

with reports that population of bees and other pollinators are declining worldwide, we should not be too hasty to destroy their nests. i remember, decades ago, how we came across a bee hive on our way to school. the hive seemed to grow by the hour and we stood to wonder if the heavy lump would just drop to the ground.

as recently as last year, there were two reports of people stung by bees. one incident was near the zion road food centre and the other, where a big group of school children was involved, happened at labrador park.

in the 70s when we conducted outdoor camps for our students, we used to practise 'hornet or bee drill'. while out hiking, once a loud blast of the whistle was heard, the campers would have to fall flat to the ground and cover their heads. seems like this is not the best thing to do.

according to the advice from the experts, you should try and outrun the bees. "run in a straight line for at least 400m and protect your face with a piece of towel or cloth, if you have one. do not attempt to jump into the water to escape from the attack because the bees will wait for you."

how do you tell a bee from a wasp? a bee has a rounder body and it has more hair on its body and legs; a wasp is slimmer, it has a narrow waist and much less hair on its body.