“Bee Beard” Professor Covered In Bees While Lecturing At Washington State University

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Professor Tim Lawrence teaches outside with bees all over his face at the Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.

He reveals how he is able to not get repeatedly stung by the honey bees with a dramatic demonstration of their stimulus-response. ‘Why is it we can do this and not get stung?’ he asks the class before saying ‘they are not inclined to sting’.

“Anybody can come up and actually stick their hand right in this swarm and not get stung,”
he says, inviting brave students to test it for themselves.

He explains how by holding the queen, the other honey bees swarm around him.

He says it’s his preferred way to create his ‘bee beard’ as it is more ‘natural’ than opening their cage and waiting for them to cluster around his body. “I think you get better bee beards this way, you get more of a natural, larger swarm.” he says.

However, that doesn’t stop him from getting stung, with Professor Lawrence admitting to a few bites.

MetroUk