I'm sorry bees.

Today The Bat and I let a horrible thing happen: we allowed an exterminator to kill the bee colony that took up residence in one of our walls.

They weren’t hurting us but our bitchy neighbor said their loud, shrill children were in danger. (Personally I would be happy if the little creeps would stay have to stay inside. Apparently screaming is a big part of their outside time.) So we called the landlord who called Orkin. I should have hired a bee keeper to come and remove the colony, even if the landlord wouldn’t spring for it. We both new better, bees worldwide aren’t doing to well. We’re not into heavy pesticides. We’re both are concerned about the environment. Yet we still let it happen.

I know The Bat isn’t fond of bees landing on her to say “hi” but she still likes them. I personally love bees. I love it when the land on me for a while. I love to see them out an about hovering from flower to flower. I love it when there is an observation hive at a museum or nature center (I always press my ear to it to listen for a hum). I don’t particularly love honey; I just love bees for being bees. One day I’d like to keep a small hive or a least have some plants they like (or have The Cat plant some plants they like).

I know they are just insects and probably aren’t going to put up Hitler-esque posters of me or spread the word on what an evil jerk I am. But I feel like I have violated their trust. I’m never afraid that one is going to sting me because I feel we have an understanding: I don’t freak out, they don’t sting me and we both have a pleasant time. I’ve always been on their side when ever other fearful clods want to hurt them for just being bees. But this time I wasn’t.

So why didn’t I do the right thing? I don’t know. It wasn’t the potential extra cost, I could have weathered that. Some if it was fear that the jerky neighbors were going to make a big deal out of it or that one of their brats would get stung. But mostly I think it was just laziness. I didn’t take the time to do something that I believed in. I feel horrible that I was too lazy to do the right thing for the bees.