Meet The Beekeeper Who Scoops Bees With Her Bare Hands | TODAY
Erika Thompson, founder of Texas Beeworks, has gone viral on TikTok with her method of removing bees from hives with her bare hands and no protective suit. She tells TODAY “the beekeeper gear is big and bulky” and that the bees in the video were “very nice bees.” She also reveals that she met her husband on the Bumble dating app!
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#ErikaThompson #Beeworks #TodayShow
Meet The Beekeeper Who Scoops Bees With Her Bare Hands | TODAY
I would never cross this person. She has zero fear.
she has zero fears....NO! SHE HAS A BEE ARMY!
Her voice is amazing, relaxing. I love how at the end of every video she says "it was another great day of saving the beeezzz."
ASMR vibes!
Bees don't need saving
She uses AI narrator in her videos. That's not her voice. Just compare this video with her real voice to any of her videos carefully and you'll see the difference. The 'hypnotic' vibe is pretty common in AI narrators.
Lol weirdos.
@@billblaski9523 What you doin with your life bill?
“I have 100 more questions for Erika” 💀 after seeing her husband 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
This reminds me of when I was a little girl, I used to go sit in the yard and hold the bees in my hand and they never stung me, the adults in my life were amazed when I told them that "the bees are my friends"♡ I admire her so much for what she does, bees are such an essential part of our planets ecosystem and I'm glad to see someone bringing attention to the need to save them♡
@Bibsh Chang how does this make me a gaslighter? I think you are misunderstanding the meaning of that phrase.
Take your meds
Everyone could hold bees in their hands and not get stung if people would stop having so much undeserved fear of them! No honey bee has ever in history stung a person simply to be malicious! It's so sad how misunderstood they are.
The bees feel like trust and acceptance. That's poetic
She's actually the Queen bee!
This woman is a freaking angel
Staged and fake
Imagine having this woman on your show and the one question that excites you the most is how she met her husband. 😑
I think they’re just excited because it’s a funny coincidence
That was 5 second question that came last in. 5 minute interview and only because of the pun.
Stop being such a ‘pick me’ 😂
Here from Rogan’s podcast, this lady is amazing! What a cool listen and now I’m following her on Instagram. Awesome content, a lot of the bees way of life and hive structure was truly fascinating and illuminating to hear.
yep me too! Bee keeping is interesting stuff.
These are one of my favorite guests on JRE. Someone I might of seen on a KZhead clip or something short and thought that’s cool. Then Joe gets them as a guest and has a good genuine conversation. Don’t get me wrong I still love the stupid/funny regulars on the JRE haha
That was a really good podcast. Super interesting women
Same!! It was such a great podcast!!! I could have listened to them talk about bees allllll day lol So glad he had her on and I learned who she is!
same lol
Brilliant woman. Thank you.
"It feels like trust and acceptance" beautiful
for some reason, she makes me so happy that I actually cry.
She’s an angel 👼 🐝🍯
0:46 0:47
1:17
Actual Disney princess for bees
i admire her so much
As a bee keeper I believe Erika has given us all the wonderful gift of observation. She has a natural ability to be gentle & calm with the bees she rescues. Safety equipment is important for new keepers, but many experienced bee keepers don't use bulky gear for the same reason, a gentle touch is what it takes. This goes beyond a talent, its a natural ability to observe & understand another creatures habits. It is horrible that a gentle girl like Erika is being bullied by some self riches social media want to be types. If they are so self riches & egotistical that they think they need to protect people from Erika's fascinating observations of nature & knowledge of her hobby or business, then let them put their winkers on & live in the dark ages with their pack of selfish wolves..
She is the bee whisperer.
I hate the "how are you not getting stung??" question constantly!! People act like it's a bee's primary goal in life to sting people! They don't WANT to sting you! If you're nice to the bees, they'll be nice to you. It's sad that they're one of the most valuable, amazing little creatures that we have on the planet, yet they're so misunderstood and feared for no reason. I've held bees in my hand, let them crawl on me, etc, and never got stung any of those times! The only time I've ever gotten stung by a honey bee is when I threatened its life either by accidentally stepping on it, or whatever. So please, be nicer to them, and you'll be pleasantly surprised by how docile they are! Remember, we literally can't live without them!!!
There are species of bees that are more aggressive and stings even without probable cause.
@@Junispro31 this isn't about those bees though, is it?? This is strictly about honey bees
@bethanyann85 While I think it's fine for her to not prefer to wear protective gear for certain types of bees, I do think putting a disclaimer of some sort to warn viewers that not all bees are docile is necessary. Besides, many of her videos indeed are slightly "polished" version of beekeeping. She don't show the equipment and process needed before going in and executing the job.
@@bethanyann85 Also, even honey bees can sometime be unpredictable and feel threatened even if you are being gentle with them.
@@Junispro31 ANY wild creature can be unpredictable.... you don't ask why someone isn't being bit every time you see them pet a dog though 🙄
Erica...bee angel. What a gift you have. My hero.
Only the most beautiful people can do this. Beauty is in the eye of the bee holder.
Baloney
@@tedbell4416 Sometimes wit is overlooked.
Fun Fact: Her hands are prosthetic from Bee stings. (kidding) " Another great day of saving the beeeeeeez."
Haven't long discovered her channel and I love watching her working with the beeez! ☺
She has a calm personality and a great kind heart and the bees feel that.
There are always 2 queens in her videos.
When they were dealing😄 out playing cards at birth she got all the aces.
She’s amazing - a bee angel
This is absolutely not possible with the Apis Mellifera Scutellata (African Honeybee) we have in South Africa. I believe it is her responsibility to place a clear discretionary warning on her videos since her popularity is making people think they can handle bees in a similar fashion and the truth is they will be placing their lives and those in the vicinity at risk. In fact, we do all our removals at night to make sure the bees are contained and we can avoid unnecessary injuries.
The world is not a play pen and people eventually need to learn to take care of themselves like rational adults.
This woman is a joke
Everybody knows she handles honey bees. They can also literally see all the honey comb. 🤦🏼♀️ She also does a lot of educating. Everything doesn't need a warning- the world isn't your safe space. People that don't research before doing deserve whatever repercussion they end up facing. You also clearly didn't listen to the video because she does address safety and why you must call a professional because bees can be hard to differentiate.
@@TheKatarinaGiselle lol nice sugar coating an absolute careless person dealing with bees. People watch these dumb videos thinking bees are all gentle little angels and ignoring the fact that all the lower 48 states have wild africanized bees now. People that watch these silly videos and think they can go up to any wild hive and "scoop the bees" are delusional at best and possibly risking their lives at worst. Just stop already. The bees don't need saving.
@@tedbell4416 lol you don't understand how to use the term "sugar coating" so there is no sense in me continuing to read the rest of your message when you made your ignorance and arrogance immediately apparent. Sorry you can't handle hard facts (the opposite of sugar coating), but stay well and slow in your safe spot! 💓💗❤️
She is amazing!
Hi Erika, I just love your way with the bees and the work you do. You are absolutely amazing. Please keep posting, I just love them. ❤
Wow on bumble! It gives me hope!
SHE IS THE QUEEN !!
Texas Beeworks: *and I took that personally*
What a catch!
You should be secretary of State , right mix of purpose and gentleness
She’s amazing 😻
What a beautiful soul
She’s beautiful.
I like #ErikaThompson 's videos, she's got great energy. But it's really not wise to handle honeybees without some kind of ***minimal*** protection. After years of beekeeping, you can somewhat judge what kind of mood the hive is in, but to new beeks and anyone interested, it is never good idea to approach any bee colony without minimal protection. A strong colony can deliver a thousand stings in a matter minutes. Even with years of experience, you never know what might trigger a strong defensive reaction. Erika, it's our job as beekeepers to make sure to set a good example :-) Keep it up, and congrats on the popularity!
That's like telling Nascar drivers to slow down and stop bumping so that kids in Driver's Ed will stay safe. She is demonstrating that if you are gentle with calm bees, that you can work with them, instead of going into combat with them. If a new beekeeper only learns from people like you, they learn to fear the bees, and that actually makes stings more likely. Yes, if you get a hot hive, no gear is going to be an issue, but in some of her videos she does put on a veil for parts of it, apparently when the bees were getting upset, but then they calm down and she can take it off. So she shows very well that situations change, and she adapts to the situation. If you have a really hot hive, you will need one of the military grade sting proof full suits, and you will want to euthanize the hive anyway to stop those genetics, but that's not what she's dealing with. And teaching people that bees are NOT inherently evil is a great balance to all the news and popular beliefs like yours, and show bees as partners rather than something scary. I will agree that new beekeepers should wear full protective gear to begin with, until they get the hang of gentle beekeeping, careful smoke application, etc, and then when they get to the point where the bees aren't trying to sting them, they can start reducing the gear. And even then, only a small percentage of beekeepers are calm and gentle enough to be able to work with no gear, because it has a lot to do with personality and temperament, not just skill. Plus only the more calm colonies on nice days will allow it. But to fear even the calm colonies on beautiful days is not wise either.
@@ke6gwf Execpt that professional beekeepers totally exposed her kzhead.info/sun/qbOqlZuupGqgq6s/bejne.html
A panel of 5 news critters to interview Erika.
She’s so cool. I wanna be her when I grow up.
I think you mean “bee” her … I’ll show myself out
@@mratkovich the door 🚪
absolut_height_advantage I’m crine
I'd say her Hubby is the lucky bumblebee 😂😂😂🍀🐝
🤮
The only bad thing about this video is that it's on the Today show.
ASMR to watch this calm woman
Her answers don’t make sense. I don’t think she’s human. There’s something up with her.
I love this Queen 👸
What a shame that this microphone didn't pick up the soothing, ASMR, zen quality of Erika's voice. She may have years of experience w the bees, but her super chill nature and vibe is a big part of her allure. Even the bees feel it. Homegirl ain't got a mean bone in her body
I missed what she said just after talking about a pheromone that smelt like bananas, something about a queen bee. Anyone know what she said?
I've seen her in Tiktok.
Erika is awesome 👏👏👏
Best not to drink alcohol before working bees. My friend who drinks a lot could not go near my hives without being attacked.
That's interesting. Do the bees smell/taste the alcohol and perceive it as a threat?
I am not sure but the odor triggers a defensive response from the bees. I just wonder if others have experienced this. Or could it have been something else about Kevin they were reacting to.
@@alexcarr8503 Are there things you can eat that give off scents that make the bees trust you? Does she pregame with them?
What does he drink?
@@xoddsocksx4766 beer
Does this bee expert have her own channel? I want to marry her.
What happens to the stray bees not added to the new hive?
She noted in a video removing hive from an RV that it's not always possible to get them all, & any strays just search & join another hive👌🏽
Love It ! I do hundreds of bee removals and unfortunately wouldn't do without protective gear. Probably pre screened bees that a very calm to do this . I DO NOT recommend you trying this please. Come on down to Houston love to work with you on some of the feral bees i encounter 911 Honey Bee Removal
She’s gorgeous though😊
These newscasters though. 🦨💨☠️
The Jane Goodall of bees
Her husband has a beard of bees in that photo !
BUT.....she didnt mention "baby bees"....
"Bad sound makes good video look bad."
Guess AL and Carson weren’t feeling the honeycomb background.
It also helps when yer real perddy. But yah a hand full of bees is timeless joy
Thanks bee to God for the work she does. Bees are essential for human life🥰
There is an old trick that most people won't tell you.... hold your breath as much as possible when you can.
😂 it feel like trust and acceptance… does it tickle or not man? Lol
Yes. You don't need an expert to tell you that insects crawling on your skin tickles.
They have her marked as a "Friendly".
The memes about the newscasters in the comments tho-
Gosh girl you won't do that with our African killer bees
That would be almost all beekeepers.
who else is on the erika rabbit hole?
Be aware that she's overly glamorizing how potentially dangerous bee keeping is. No beekeeper in their right mind would go into a relocation process wearing dark clothes, with their hair down and without proper safety equipment. Yes, some beekeepers do work with their bare hands sometimes, but after making well sure that the colony is docile or when trying to locate the queen.
stfu, your just annoyed that shes a professional.
@@evernesskyle kzhead.info/sun/n9uqZZpoq3ueqnk/bejne.html
Erica is so beautiful.
Teach them
That bumble question . super unprofessional
Yeah that question was just odd. If they wanted to ask about her personal life they could have asked it a different way
They did it because she's a beekeeper, and there's BUMBLE bees... it's a lame joke, but I wouldn't call it unprofessional. Just their light hearted way to use a play on words 🤷🏻♀️
@@shellyt556 not odd....Bumble... bumblebees... she's a beekeeper.... lame joke, but it fits with the conversation.
@@bethanyann85 ohhhh lol
Her instagram is amazing
I love honey, honey...
what is the big deal in rural areas people are doing with out any fancy gear 😂 of course she is the best
Id love to eat a fresh honey comb.
This is so ridiculous
bruh
Nice to know Carson Daly still a buster😂
Indian tribes do this routinely!
How to be bee keeping
The inquisition live on TV
No veil makes good videos and pr. No veil will get you a blind eye. After 60 years, I speak from experience. And I write with one eye...not a very good one. If you've seen Grizzly Man...transpose that to Honey Bees.
I guess you have never once had a bee get inside your veil? You can get stung in the eye even with a veil, so it's not a very good argument...
@@ke6gwf Hey Ben, if you don't want to wear a veil, don't wear one. Next month I'm doing a seminar on artificially insemination of queens at the USF honeybee laboratory and its free. If you'd like to attend its free.
@bike suisala That's true. She looks good and has a KZhead following! Next month I'm doing a seminar at the USF honeybee laboratory on artificial insemination of queen bees. Its free and if you'd like to attend you're welcome. Who knows, you might even see some bees that aren't on KZhead...if you want a veil, bring it. If you prefer not to thats your choice. Thank you for your insight...
Ben, I apologize. I didn't answer your question. I have found it easier to get one bee out of my bonnet than get 20 off my face. Again, veils are a personal choice. Sorry, and thank you for your feedback.
@bike suisala Bike, I'm 70 years old, I'm sorry but I don't have a link to anything. I'm rarely on KZhead, there's just no time for that. The University will probably put up a link as the time gets closer, I really don't know. I meant no offense to the young lady at all. She has obviously been around bees long enough to recognize when and when not to wear protection. I wish her all the luck in the world. I live in a very Africanized honeybee part of Florida. Here no one takes chances. Thats all.
Hpw lovelyto put a face to thevoice.i'm made up!😊
Watch out Beyonce
Well, now we know the truth. Not telling the whole story, unfortunately. She got her spot on a morning show and countless others. Mission accomplished.
What truth and "whole story"??????
Would you be my Queen Erika ?
It’s cause she’s kinda hot... that’s it. Beekeepers have been doing this for DECADES ! ! It’s the fact some petite/attractive/blonde has come along and is doing it... is why this is getting attention. LoL sooooooo many other Beekeepers with better, more impressive content... Like I said, it’s obvious why she got the LimeLight for a short run.
I love hot Bee Lady!
This woman is a scam. Her videos are staged. She demonstrates almost zero of what's necessary to do this job.
Oancea they loose their needle, they loose their live!
Ive seen lots of beekeepers do this in Colorado. Cool but nothing new or unique.
Yeah, I won't personally handle my bees with bare hands, but I know plenty of beekeepers who do.
Probably not as pretty as her though.
It's more about her foxiness and personality. That's why she's so popular. If This were Bertha Crustynuts,,, it would just be like,.. whatever. 🤷🏻))
@@daveman5860 Bertha Crustynuts 😆..funniest thing I heard all week.
She’s not the only one that does that what a show off I’m a beekeeper and I can do that without no cameras😂
Is this jealousy I’m sensing?
@@e.i.3077 no just pointing out the fact she’s probably better looking than I am 🤣
@@stormryder9202 most likely you are correct! Lol (on the better looking part) Most of the good beekeepers I know, and the ones with KZhead channels, only use gear when needed, and I use the minimum I am comfortable with, so you are right that it's nothing special, but she's on because of her video making skills, and the fact she has gone viral, and thus collected a lot of hate.
@@ke6gwf Agreed I was in my-bee yard today with nothing but my street clothes , as I do most days and as far as swarms go I’ve caught them with and without a veil ,,, but (cut outs ) I question the method ,, somebody must spray the crap out of them with sugar syrup LOL
@@haaggus yes but my bees will educate you on how to handle them on inspection days lol
I have a question for her, how come she never has a video of her holding africanised Bees? x'D oh wait her hubby deals with them and that video never surfaces... "I can tell just by looking" - I howled out loud for a good few minutes hilarious, meanwhile kzhead.info/sun/gpillNSxgHdrp2w/bejne.html a real beekeeper who had to euthanise an africanised colony, because you can't stop them with smoke or sugar water. Behind the pretty face and untiedback hair is a whole fabrication of dangerious bullshittery.
Your headline should say meet the woman who does foolish things in order to get views.
Doesn't she use friendly bee pheromones on her hand to not get stung? Sounds like she's over exagerating.
She stages her videos which doesn't sit right with me tbh
she's really famous for being a hot woman doing this as I've seen this from another person and was amazing to me then also but she is a woman and attractive so is the hype with her.. it is what it is
This is very beautiful and of most importance ,so while you get some attention lets talk about the important issues...electro-magnetic saturation of our environnement is poisoning the bees....like if you put a cell phone inside a beehive this would disorganise the whole colony in a matter of hours ...not even days....But the subject is taboo...not politicaly correct...The few scarce reseachs about this is being erased, shunned, or riddiculed.THIS SATURATION PROCESS AFFECTS THE MITOCHONDRIAS inside every living cells....Withnessing bees decline for over 40 years...micro----waving goodbies...