We’re Not Killer Bees…We Just Want To Make A Better Life For Our Families.

Killer bees are once again in the news. Content to exist in their native country of Africa, they were captured and transported in the late ’50′s by a Brazilian scientist. Forced against their will, they were bought and sold by greedy property owners whose sole intention was to exploit their natural abilities to pollinate crops and produce honey in the process. The African bees were chosen simply because of their ability to better adapt to the tropical climate and become more prolific honey producers. But after years of suffering long and often torturous hours in the fields and working for little or no compensation, the bees united and began moving from Brazil to Mexico.  Shortly after, these African natives began migrating to the United States in search of a better way of life for themselves and future generations. Unfortunately, this new generation of American bees were met with much scorn, resistance and intolerance by native North American bees.

Latin American bees felt the United States was the land of opportunity and better working conditions would exist. They were under the mistaken impression they’d be welcomed by American bees, but they were wrong. They never expected American bees to be so hostile and unwelcoming. “I’ve lived in the United States all my life and I’m not about to let some foreign bee come here and steal my job”, says Bubba Lee Bee of Texas, “They should stay on their own side of the border.” Many American bees are calling for stricter bee immigration policies because of an intense fear that bee immigration will lower the standard of living for bees in the U.S. The American government is happy to have the Mexican bees because they will pollinate the fields for longer hours and less pay than Native American bees are willing to. Mexican bees maintain that they should have right to come here to the U.S. as did any other bee culture that migrated before them.

The fact is this new generation of American bees are here to stay whether native American bees like it or not. Those quick to judge these Mexican immigrants forget that bees were not native to the United States. The common honey bee came here from places like England and The West Indies in the early 1600′s. American bees today are by no means native to this country. All existing bees today have roots in other countries and should remember their own humble beginnings as newcomers to the new world. There is no doubt the  debate over immigrant bees will continue for a long time to come.

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