Taking the Sting Out of Those Pesky Bees

Yellow jackets, or “meat bees,” those aggressive stinging pests that ruined so many hikes and picnics in the Sierra Nevadas last summer, will be back in even greater numbers this season.

“The situation is pretty mellow right now, but it’s headed in the same direction,” warned public information officer Bill Tweed, at Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. “We’ve had four short, easy winters, so we’re likely to see very high yellow jacket populations by late summer.”

Yellow jackets build nests in the ground throughout the forest, but swarm into visitor areas attracted by campground favorites such as steaks, hamburgers and salami. They go after food aggressively, retaliate when swatted and, unlike bees, can sting more than once.

Despite many serious stinging incidents last summer, there were no fatalities, except for a horse that was stung repeatedly and died of shock after stepping in a nest near Clark’s Fork in the Emigrant Wilderness.

“We’re seeing a lot more queens this year than last in the South Lake Tahoe area,” said Randy Sever at the El Dorado County Health Department. “At the beginning of the summer, the queen hatches eight to 10 workers who start bringing her food. Then she stays in the nest all summer, laying more eggs and building the nest bigger. By September, the populations are enormous.”

“There is an easy way to live with the creatures,” Tweed added. “Eat after dark. That’s when they sleep. There’s no use fighting to have dinner at 7:30 p.m., when you can cook all you want at 9 o’clock and have no bugs at all.”

Counting heads: The House Public Works Committee has approved a bill (HR5171) that will allow airports to impose passenger taxes of $1, $2 or $3, which would be collected by airlines and travel agents as part of the ticket purchase. No more than two head taxes could be made on a one-way trip with connections, so the maximum charge would be $12 per round trip.

Polish connection: The United States and Poland have tentatively agreed on revisions to their bilateral air pact that would allow LOT, the Polish national airline, to serve Miami and to tap the Los Angeles market with code-sharing connecting flights via New York and Chicago, which are its existing gateways. U.S. carriers would gain the right to sell tickets for zlotys and to freely convert Polish currency to dollars.

Call kiwi: The New Zealand Tourist & Publicity Office has upgraded its travel information services by introducing a toll-free phone number, (800) 388-KIWI, which will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Fare deals: Air Canada has reduced fares on select flights between Toronto and Los Angeles or San Francisco. Between June 16 and Sept. 7, travelers will be able to fly Los Angeles-Toronto round trip for as little as $338. Round-trip fares between Sept. 8 and Oct. 7 will be $314. Reservations must be made three weeks prior to departure...With three more DC-8 aircraft due later this summer, MGM Grand Air said it will introduce Grand Coach Class on its New York-Los Angeles flights, offering what airline officials describe as first-class seats and service at the standard transcontinental coach fare of $623, beginning Aug. 16...Mexicana has set an introductory fare of $229 round trip for service from Los Angeles to Monterrey, through July 31.

Animal cacklers: On the menu at a restaurant at the Beijing Zoo are entrees of beaver, squirrel, antelope, bear and other exotica, none of which, the zoo maintains, comes from the zoo.

Fly buy: Air New Zealand passengers flying to Australia can now take advantage of the airline’s “Aussie and Harriet” special. Fly Air New Zealand round trip to Sydney or Melbourne from Los Angeles for $949 and the airline will give each passenger $150 worth of free hotel accommodations, rental cars and/or sightseeing attractions.

The special includes a free stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, and Honolulu, and is valid through Aug. 31. A 21-day advance purchase is required. For more information, call Air New Zealand at (800) 262-2468.

Das Beatles: Cologne, in West Germany, is the site of the only museum in Europe that is dedicated to the Beatles. The British pop artists from Liverpool are remembered through childhood photographs, record album covers, film posters, concert programs and various Beatles souvenirs such as mop-top wigs and Sgt. Pepper soup cans. The museum, located on Heinsbergstrasse 13, is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.