Search
 

The Humble Bumble Bee

Todays adjuster needs a good scientific and investigative mind to assess risks and claims related to livestock and America's crops.

By Ken Brownlee | Updated on July 01, 2013
Talk about government double-talk: When an EPA official says, “There are [zero] non-trivial costs to society if we get this wrong,” he means that if they don’t get the science right, then we are headed for a huge disaster.

I never paid much attention to bees until one summer day at Longleat House in the south of England when I was drinking a bottle of fruit juice, and a few drops had collected on the top. A honey bee landed on it, shared my drink, wanted more, and I put a drop on my finger and the bee devoured that as well, then flew off to tell its fellow bees it had discovered the fountain of wonderful nectar. By then, I had moved on.

See related: Hope Grim for New Farm Bill

After watching a PBS Nature program in 1998 about bees being endangered by some fungus or mite, I began to notice the bees around my home. In particular, there was one rather large bumble bee that seemed to spend an inordinate time at the corner of my carport and back yard, where there were no flowering bushes. This, I learned, was the bee colony’s traffic cop. He was there to guide the other bumble bees who were out gathering nectar to bring back to the hive.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free
PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader.

INCLUDED IN A DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP:

  • All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
  • Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
  • Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.

Already have an account?

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Recommended Stories

PropertyCasualty360

Join PropertyCasualty360

Don’t miss crucial news and insights you need to make informed decisions for your P&C insurance business. Join PropertyCasualty360.com now!

  • Unlimited access to PropertyCasualty360.com - your roadmap to thriving in a disrupted environment
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including BenefitsPRO.com, ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
  • Exclusive discounts on PropertyCasualty360, National Underwriter, Claims and ALM events

Already have an account? Sign In Now
Join PropertyCasualty360

Copyright © 2025 ALM Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved.