Why are people afraid of bees?

I grew up out in the country. I got stung by bees, wasps (those hurt) and a yellowjacket once (that really hurts). I would see people at school freak out when bees flew near and it was almost a social norm to behave that way. read more

A widespread fear of bees was triggered by rumors about"killer bees". In particular, the Africanized bee is widely feared by the American public, a reaction that has been amplified by sensationalist movies and some of the media reports. read more

Unreasonable fear of bees in humans may also have a detrimental effect on ecology. Bees are important pollinators, and when, in their fear, people destroy wild colonies of bees, they contribute to environmental damage and may also be the cause of the disappearing bees. read more