My mentors and fellow students immediately made me feel welcome, and little by little they began introducing me to new perspectives on this field.
Many students and professors allowed me to assist them with their research. I first tried hands-on work with Africanized honey bees in Orotina, Costa Rica. I felt nervous at first, but after a practice run with a smaller hive, I was ready for the challenge. Africanized honey bees are actually one of the most aggressive bee species in the world, and because of this and their tendency to clean themselves, they are less susceptible to a variety of mites and diseases. This time we were not investigating this site for illnesses but rather to examine the hives following a forest fire than had destroyed twenty-three Africanized hives in a private apiculture center a few days prior to our visit.
We felt devastated when we arrived at the site. Many of the hives were burnt and destroyed, but there were still survivors. I suited up and made sure that the netting around my helmet was secured before approaching the colonies. Within a few yards, the first soldiers started attacking like miniature bullets trying to penetrate through my protective gear. Africanized honey bees keep guards a few yards away from the hives in order to protect their queen. They will sting anything that approaches in a sacrifice to protect their colony. Once these soldiers sting, they release a pheromone that lets the other bees know that danger is approaching.
Very soon, I was surrounded. All I could feel was the vibration of the bees as I watched them begin to swarm me, and my thoughts overflowed with the sound of buzzing.
