Pest Management Professional, September 2012

technicalities Stinging inSectS M any arthropods can cause panic and fear Just observe what happens when a wasp or bee gets trapped with a human inside a closed room or vehicle Aside from the sting some people are very concerned and rightfully so about the potential of death from anaphylactic shock Knowing the fear and danger of the hymenoptera warriors it should be no surprise to learn how they have been used as weapons for thousands of years In his 2009 book Six Legged Soldiers Using Insects as Weapons of War Jeffery Lockwood discusses the use of hornets bees and wasps among others as formidable weapons More than 5000 years ago the Egyptian King Menes commonly called the Scorpion King chose the hornet as his family emblem Historians have determined the reason for this was to intimidate people by reminding them of the pain he could inflict if provoked His demise is also believed to be the first written account of a human death attributed to a hornet sting King Menes was not the first to use this insect for military gain however Archeologists hypothesize that around 100000 years ago humans used bees and wasps to drive enemies out of barricaded caves The invaders would gather beehives or wasp nests and toss them over the barricades to drive the people into the open Historians note one problem with this tactic was the stinging insects often not only would attack the intended victims but also the aggressors It wasnt until approximately 10000 years ago that humans discovered insect nests could be collected at night to reduce the chances of getting stung They also discovered around this time that smoke from a burning branch would calm the insects making it easier and safer to gather the nests The art of writing was developed about 5000 years ago and provides a historical trail of insect use In Exodus 23 28 for example you will find reference to God using the hornet to drive out enemies of the people In the sacred Mayan text Popul Vuh the use of bee bombs is described for use in war Manikins were set up with hollow gourds for heads The gourds were topped with traditional headdresses and filled with a nest of bees When enemies attacked the manikins and chopped open the heads bees would swarm out onto the attackers The text also refers to the Mayans using bee bombs by placing nests inside pottery sealing the tops and tossing them like hand grenades at enemies Middle Eastern culture also developed this technology about the same time Reportedly the community would place thin walled pottery pieces outside and allow the bees or wasps to build their nests inside At night warriors would plug the top of the containers with grass so the insects could still get air and then use the pots as hand grenades With the eventual creation of the catapult bee bombs became even more effective They could be thrown without endangering the attackers There are numerous accounts from 900 AD through the 1700s of bees being used to defend underground tunnels leading into cities Records also exist of bees being used to repel invading armies from the walls of cities The local people would bring their beehives to the walls during sieges and drop them over the sides onto invaders These are just a few examples of the weaponry tactics that civilizations have been using since the dawn of time These examples and others discussed in Lockwoods book remind us of the respect and frankly the admiration we should have for this phenomenal group of insects pMp You can reach Meek international technical and training director for Orkin at fmeek@ rollins com Frank Meek Columnist Archeologists hypothesize that 100000 years ago bees and wasps were used to drive enemies from caves Warriors on the Wing The European honey bee Apis mellifera Photo Patrick Copps Orkin LLC 90 September 2012 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net