‘Over the top’: backlash against TikTok’s bee lady not justified, say bee experts – MENAFN.COM

‘Over the top’: backlash against TikTok’s bee lady not justified, say bee experts – MENAFN.COM

Texas Beeworks' Erika Thompson has been accused by other users of staging her TikTok videos and handling bees in an unsafe manner. Instagram: @texasbeeworks (resharing the work of Jonathan Vail) (MENAFN - The Conversation) Beekeeping has become hugely popular in recent years, and a new world of beekeeping influencers has recently emerged on TikTok. But it's not without drama. Erika Thompson “” the bee lady from Texas Bee Works “” has gained a following of 6. 4 million on TikTok by posting videos of rescuing bee colonies from odd places, including trucks, toilets, and umbrellas . Thompson is at ease in the videos with the colonies, and is frequently not wearing protective clothing, has her hair loose, and handles the bees with her bare hands. But lately, her videos have been getting backlash from other beekeepers , and fuelled by the media. They say she uses dangerous beekeeping practises, and she isn't really 'saving the bees' as she claims in each video. We research bee behaviour at the University of Sydney. To us, this backlash is over the top. Thompson is clearly a competent beekeeper who is educating the public about honeybees in her own way on social media. She