Popular Science article

[Bakersdozen]

I stumbled across this article on my phone while in a waiting room yesterday. https://www.popsci.com/diy/save-the-bees/  I was really disappointed in the article and disappointed in Popular Science.  Still in the waiting room, I sent a letter to the author stating that setting up hummingbird style feeders for honey bees to rest and recuperate at was a bad idea.  My main concern was that a beekeeper would have honey supers on and the bees would be filling the supers with sugar water.
To my surprise, within 20 minutes the author wrote me back.  She wanted to learn more about water sources for honey bees.  It was clear she didn't have full understanding of honey bees and foraging.  I replied with a carefully worded letter trying not to sound like a know-it-all.  After all her intentions were good.  I also attached a picture of one of the water sources I have set up.

[iddee]

Good job.

[RAST]

I see a future as a contributor to popular science now that you have your toe in the door.

[Zweefer]

Well done, and I am sure you were able to make some headway with your respectful approach.

[RAST]

After reading your post I came across a woman talking about how nice and sweet her bees are because she fed them since babies and sets real close to her hive so they can see her face, on FB of course. She has proof it works per a science magazine article. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2005/12/bees-recognize-human-faces?fbclid=IwAR1s1LmFPO5o8Io2NY_isbHg0ExML4xaUlIUtK47jbIcDehs83v_bZKoCSA
 The OP's FB post was a new beekeeper with a (to him) hot hive and what to do.

[Bakersdozen]

Stand between an older forager and the entrance to a hive?  She will show the love, alright! 

[RAST]

 Thinks like that get people hurt, unfortunately someone will take it as fact 100% of the time.
 I was serious about you as a contributing author, you should try it.

[Bakersdozen]

I really like how the writer of that article has an open mind.  She replied today and said she would check with the editor to see how my suggestions can be incorporated into the article.  She will contact me if there are any questions.
I think writers just copy other writers.  Sometimes they give the original writer credit.  Sometimes they just plagiarize.  So, there may be a some good out of this.

[The15thMember]

I really like how the writer of that article has an open mind.  She replied today and said she would check with the editor to see how my suggestions can be incorporated into the article.  She will contact me if there are any questions.
I think writers just copy other writers.  Sometimes they give the original writer credit.  Sometimes they just plagiarize.  So, there may be a some good out of this.

I agree, it's really great that she was willing to learn.  I had the opposite experience personally in a similar situation.  There is a columnist in our local newspaper who writes nature articles of debatable quality, and she once wrote this panic-inducing piece about how she supposedly found triatomene bugs in her garden, a type of assassin bug that can carry diseases that are transmittable to humans.  She had a picture of the insect and it was most definitely NOT a triatomene bug; I'm pretty sure it was just a squash bug.  I contacted her about the mistake hoping she would publish a correction, because I was very afraid she'd induce local gardeners to used broad spectrum pesticides every time they saw a squash bug because she had claimed this insect would make people sick.  She never responded to me.   

[Bakersdozen]

15, a letter to the editor might have helped.  Letters to the editor are usually one of the highlights of a newspaper.  I would have referenced the letter to the author and her lack of response.

[The15thMember]

15, a letter to the editor might have helped.  Letters to the editor are usually one of the highlights of a newspaper.  I would have referenced the letter to the author and her lack of response.

I thought about doing that, but very soon after she wrote an article in which she recommended that people invade other people's property to shovel out their road drainage to prevent mud from running into the river when it rains, and she blamed the local fisherman for not caring enough to do so.  With this article the paper added a disclaimer saying that the author's opinions did not necessarily reflect those of the paper as a whole, and it seemed like her days with the paper were numbered, so I didn't really feel right about going after her in a letter to the editor.  Her column was gradually replaced by one written by a great local pollinator conservationist who has a business that does native bee-friendly landscaping.  She writes articles occasionally still, but she is no longer a regular contributor.       

[Bakersdozen]

15, sounds like the problem solved it's self.

[Bakersdozen]

I just received an email from the author of the article in Popular Science.  She thanked me for my input and let me know that the article has been updated.  Here is a link to the revised article.
https://www.popsci.com/diy/save-the-bees/

I am happy that she down played the sugar water feeders and changed the focus to water sources.  The link provided is to a You Tube video on making a sugar water feeder.  I guess you would call it a compromise of sorts.

[The15thMember]

I just received an email from the author of the article in Popular Science.  She thanked me for my input and let me know that the article has been updated.  Here is a link to the revised article.
https://www.popsci.com/diy/save-the-bees/

I am happy that she down played the sugar water feeders and changed the focus to water sources.  The link provided is to a You Tube video on making a sugar water feeder.  I guess you would call it a compromise of sorts.

I agree that is a much better focus, although the paragraph reads a bit confusingly now, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.  The main thing is she was willing to listen to constructive criticism from someone with real world experience, which is very commendable.