Australian bees are BETTER than American bees : Evolving Thoughts

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John Wilkins is an eternal student, who thinks philosophy of biology is at least as interesting as politics or sport and twice as important. He has a PhD from the University of Melbourne and worked at the University of Queensland, in Australia, before taking up a research fellowship at the University of Sydney. After a varied career, involving factories, gardening, civil service, publishing, graphics, public relations but not, unfortunately for the CV, driving a truck, John finally completed his thesis on species concepts in 2004, which he has worked into two books.

This blog ~~is designed~~ evolved to host any random thoughts that happen to be passing through my forebrain at a given moment. So there will be errors...

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Australian bees are BETTER than American bees

Category: Biodiversity • General Science • Species and systematics
Posted on: September 7, 2007 3:14 AM, by John S. Wilkins

So, you thought that Colony Collapse Disorder, which is causing billions of dollars in losses in American agriculture, was an act of nature? You poor fools! It's a plot, I tell yez. We Australians have hardier bees than you do, so they can carry an infectious disease that your weakly pathetic American bees just can't deal with. And it's no accident that we sent them to you. Now you have to buy our produce! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

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I do buy your apples during (our) summer. Also apples from New Zealand. Our markets sell US grown apples them, but they have been in cold storage for months and are not so yummy.

Posted by: Susan Silberstein | September 7, 2007 3:57 AM

When I first read your headline I thought it said that Australian beers are better than American beers, and as a proud supporter of Oregon and Washington breweries I was ready to take offense.

Sure, I'll happily eat your produce, but the day I have to trade in my Bridgeport or Deschutes for Fosters I'm expatriating to Belgium.

Posted by: Jon | September 7, 2007 4:11 AM

I keep trying to tell people. The reason we export Fosters is so we don't have to drink that crap.

True story - I used to work next door to the maltery that made the hops used in Fosters. Twenty five years later just the thought of that place brings the smell to my nose. I still hate it.

Posted by: John Wilkins | September 7, 2007 10:45 AM

True story - I used to work next door to the maltery that made the hops used in Fosters.

Hops are not made they are grown, and this from a man who write about biology!

Posted by: Thony C. | September 7, 2007 11:05 AM

You know, at one time this may have been a recipe for famine or disaster here. Hurray global economy!

Posted by: Jesse | September 7, 2007 11:25 AM

I know they're grown. Due to a bit of weasel wording in the local legislation of the time, we used to graft marijuana plants onto hops vines to evade prosecution (they changed it pretty quickly).

But they roast it, or do something equally evil, and the smell is pernicious.

Posted by: John Wilkins | September 7, 2007 12:01 PM

But they roast it, or do something equally evil, and the smell is pernicious.

What they roast in a maltery is barley to make malt which is what gives beer and whisky their colour and some of their flavour. I will however agree that the smell is pernicious although for me it awakes fond memories.

Also true story - I grew up in a small East Anglian village which boasted a splendid Edwardian maltings next to the railway station, about a mile and a half outside of the village. (Ben Trumans if there are any East Anglian beer experts reading this) The smell when they roasted the barley was as you say pernicious but it is a smell that evokes the care free days of my childhood so for me it is a positive and not a negative memory that is stirred.

Posted by: Thony C. | September 7, 2007 1:36 PM

Wiki has just informed me that Ben Trumans is not an East Anglian beer but a London one!

Posted by: Thony C. | September 7, 2007 1:41 PM

Your bees or not your bees, *that* is the question!

Posted by: Ian | September 7, 2007 4:41 PM

Damn, you are right. The term "maltery" should have given it away. I blame the drugs I was on at the time.

I was a technical proofreader in a small enclosed office next door, and the smell pervaded everything. Not pleasant memories at all.

Posted by: John Wilkins | September 7, 2007 11:00 PM

Come up with a good bee vaccine and our bees can all play together, as one big happy colony.

Posted by: Organic Chemistry | September 11, 2007 6:36 AM