Southerly by David Haywood

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Southerly: Still a Scientist at Heart

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  • Jen Hay,

    A good attempt. But your conclusions fail to explicitly address your hypothesis. B-.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 43 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    No, no, I'm pretty sure this goes:

    Apparatus

    1. Beehive-looking thing.
    2. Petrol.
    3. Barbeque lighter.


    The rest is pretty much the same, though.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    We've got bees popping into our place at the moment. Blow flys I'm used to, the reason for the pitcher plant, and wasps sure, always fun.
    Bees make a nice change I suppose, docile and colourful.
    Sympathies for the stings though.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Susan Snowdon,

    We had a swarm of bees at work once, in a garden centre. Watching the bee man come to take them away was fascinating. You (I) could walk right amongst them carefully without disturbing them in the slightest, but lawnmowers, no, I don't think so...

    Since Mar 2008 • 110 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    Surprisingly, the lawnmower was actually a blessing. Most of the bees tried to attack it instead of me.

    In late-breaking news, my fingers now look as though they belong to Gerry Brownlee...

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    Surprisingly, the lawnmower was actually a blessing. Most of the bees tried to attack it instead of me.

    You could take that as a compliment. It's said that bees have a sense of smell, and once they're on the warpath they'll go for the smelliest item. Something to do with an ancient antipathy towards bears. Beekeepers tend to shower regularly and have a thing for clean underwear.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    Perhaps the bees coincidentally appeared when you mowed the beehive-like object. You should repeat the experiment to get more conclusive results.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Mrs Skin,

    Keith, I think that might be the response of the year.

    the warmest room in the h… • Since Feb 2009 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    It would be more conclusive if repeated by someone else.
    I volunteer ...................... Keith for the job.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    Mi lawnmower es su lawnmower, Keith...

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    Dear Dr Haywood

    I am delighted to read of your recent research and dilligent efforts to extend our knowledge in this area. It is indeed good to know that a lawnmower is somewhat more effective than a stick at deflecting the attentions of Bees. I look forward reading further research undertaken by you in this field. Have you any plans to explore similar hypotheses with hornets ?

    Kind regards

    81stC PhD

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    This manuscript is well-written and addresses an issue of concern to the scientific community. The methods appear to be appropriate, and the experiment well-designed (although a double-blind trial, whereby neither bees nor researcher can see each other would be more rigorous still). However, it still substantial revision prior to any publication. In particular, there is nothing in the results that will be of surprise to the scientific community. What, exactly, are we take from this experiment? Perhaps if the results were better contextualized in light of the extant literature the discussion and conclusion sections would be on firmer ground.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    Margins are off by one millimeter. Please re-submit.

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Margins are off by one millimeter. Please re-submit.

    And that's just the kind of blinkered, unthinking prejudice that people with Gerry Brownlee Fingers face every day of their lives.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Tony Parker,

    Why are you doing Science? Don't you know you should only be focussing on literacy and numeracy? Read to the bees and get them to count how many were killed.

    Napier • Since Nov 2008 • 232 posts Report Reply

  • Judi Lapsley Miller,

    And here I was thinking you were surreally anticipating your book launch...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 106 posts Report Reply

  • Raymond A Francis,

    So was it a beehive (a wooden structure full of bees or a building in Wellington full of MPs) or a bee swarm or what that you decided to attack with a lawnmower?
    People need to know, possibly terrorists could have an interest as well!
    The possibilities are almost endless

    45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Bees have appeared naturally over thousands of years without any interference from puny mankind. The sun alone drives 90% of bee appearance in the last thousand years and I saw a bee the other day BEFORE I mowed the lawn - your pinko theory can't explain that lag now can it?!

    It is well known that the UN has a deep liberal apicultural agenda, and wish to implement the lesbian queen socialist utopia of the colony.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    So now we know what's causing colony collapse disorder

    BTW: try filling a pump-up weedsprayer with kerosene, apply lighter & take 'em on like a man.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Cubey,

    You are just the sort of person who should be applying for this.

    Wellington • Since May 2008 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    You could take that as a compliment. It's said that bees have a sense of smell, and once they're on the warpath they'll go for the smelliest item

    They do.

    Saw them go after a farm dog, once. We'd drenched the bulls - a key component of Nilverm is also a key ingredient in one of the recently-banned party drugs - and the bulls, when let out of the yard, were leaping around and busted through the fence in the race and went down the side of the hill, which happened to be covered in gorse.

    Dad sent the dog in among the gorse to round them up: there was barking which turned to yelping, the bulls come running out of the gorse at the bottom of the hill and then the dog comes out and streaks past them, yowling like mad.


    Heading straight for the water trough. Which was the right thing to do. He'd run through a bee's nest and they were all over him.

    He got over it, mostly. But he'd never go down that hillside again, at least, not until we 245-T'd the gorse a few year's later.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • terrycojones,

    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Flowers Make Everyone Happy, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

    Barcelona • Since Nov 2009 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    a few year's later

    DAMN.

    a few years' later.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • James Francis,

    I'd take a lawnmower to that apostrophe, I reckon.

    ...a few years later?

    St John's, Newfoundland • Since Nov 2006 • 121 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I wish I had bees - I've let my lawns grow, on the hypothesis that more flowers everywhere will draw more bees, which will mean more bees on my fruit trees, which will mean more fruit. Strangely, it seems to have attracted a pair of ducks instead.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

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