Beekeeper E.J. Campbell of Olympia, Washington announced that he would exhibiting a "stingless bee" at the next meeting of the Thurston County Bee Society. He said the stingless bee had been developed by scientific processes from the Adel strain (an "industrious but peevish" bee commonly found in North American apiaries at the time). This new bee, said Campbell, had no stinger and would not attack a person even under the strongest provocation. It would simply fly away. He also said it was an excellent honey gatherer and a great playmate for children. The announcement generated enormous interest in the press, including a full page article in the
Washington Post. But after receiving hundreds of inquiries from beekeepers throughout the United States and Canada, Campbell admitted his stingless bee was actually of the April Fool variety and was only intended as a joke.
Of course, species of
stingless bees really do exist, though they live primarily in tropical climates and tend not to be used in commercial honey production.
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