Not everyone is fond of bees.
In fact, a lot of people are afraid of them, and some are even allergic to them. When people see bees, they usually avoid them, but not Fiona Presly, a library assistant who lives in Scotland. She recently found a bumblebee that was unable to fly, and she actually formed a close bond with the insect.
She explained how she met the bee:
“I picked her up and noticed there was something peculiar. She had no wings. I took her inside that night, kept her warm and fed her more. I thought I would put her out the next day, but the weather was bad then, too. So, I kept her inside.”
Presly felt bad for the bee and wanted to help her, but she wasn’t sure what to do or why she didn’t have wings.
She wondered if it could even survive without flying. She contacted the Bumblebee Conservation Trust for help. The staff explained that there is a virus that causes bees to not develop wings. They usually don’t live very long in the wild if they can’t fly.
Presly felt like the bee was healthy, and she wanted to give her a chance. She knew if she put her outside during the storm, that she wouldn’t survive the night. She decided to care for the bee. She said,
“I made a garden for her.”
Before long, the bee had learned to trust Presly and seemed to even like her company.
Presly looked forward to checking on the bee, too. She explained:
“She’d walk toward me and crawl on my hand. She seemed so happy to see me. It made me stop and think — there’s something going on here.”
The bee started to perk up and act better.
She seemed to love her new garden home and her new caretaker. Presly was thrilled to see how well she was doing in her new home. She continued:
“It was like her whole being came to life. I think she liked the fact that she wasn’t alone. I think she thrived on company, even from another species. They are naturally sociable creatures. That would be in their instinct. We were quite comfortable with each other. There were things going on with this bee that were quite something.”
Sadly, although Presly took great care of the bee, she did not live very long.
The virus took over and she died while in her garden that Presly had made for her. Presly was upset about her death. She said:
“I was sad when she died, but I knew it was going to happen. She was already older than she should have been. It had been very special to stay with a wee creature, like Bee. The fact that she lived more than just a few weeks amazed me. That was rewarding in itself.”
Her interaction with the bee gave her a new outlook on life and a new appreciation for insects and nature.
She never expected to have such a close bond with a bee.
She explained:
“Now I view all insects in a different light. It’s changed my perception of what insects are like. I think there’s an awful lot we don’t know.”
Presly is happy to have been able to bond with the bee.
Had Presly not have stopped to take the time to look at the bee closely and realize she needed help, the bee would have likely died, and neither of them would have got to experience the close bond they shared. Not everyone would be so quick to start a relationship with a bee, but Presly took the time to care, and she earned an experience she will never forget.
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