I’m writing in regard to the recent cover story you published about bees. While I agree that it is important to be aware of bees, I believe the story you wrote would have been more appropriately titled, “Be Afraid of Bees.”
This fear-based journalism is grabby but inappropriate given only a very limited portion of the population (one or two out of 1000) is allergic or even hypersensitive to bee or wasp stings, according to the USDA. The average person can safely tolerate 10 stings per pound of body weight. To put that in perspective: the average 175lb American adult would have to receive 1750 bee stings before the threat became vital. Rather than communicate any of this relevant factual information, the article read as an advertisement for the quoted pest control professional while treating coexistence as 
an afterthought.
This is irresponsible journalism and it makes The Vail Voice appear unaware of the growing trend in publication urging people to live peacefully alongside bees and understand their importance. Bringing these vital pollinators back is so incredibly important to the human race. One out of every three bites of food we eat relies on bees for pollination, so nothing less than the future of our food supply is at stake.
As the evidence of this unprecedented threat to bees grows, so does our movement of people, government agencies, and even corporations taking a stand to protect them. Just last month, General Mills launched a new campaign in Canada that removes its iconic honeybee from the fr
ont of boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios to shine a light on the alarming decline of bee populations. And the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) just issued a report calling for bold and immediate action to save bees back from collapse. Is your publication part of this call to action?
Please join these modern times by publishing relevant information that will help our community thrive beyond a temporary swarm, and well into the future.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Fox
