BBC acts on fake post by ‘David Attenborough’ to feed bees
GARDENERS across the country have been duped by a fake social media post that claimed to be from Sir David Attenborough telling them to feed bees sugar and water.
The BBC has succeeded in getting Facebook to remove the post, which encouraged people to help tired bees.
Experts say that rather than helping the insects, feeding them sugared water could case them harm and decrease the pollination process.
The post read: “If bees were to disappear from the face of the Earth, humans would have just four years to live. If you find a tired bee in your home, a simple solution of sugar and water will help revive an exhausted bee.”
It prompted nature lovers who came across the Facebook post to try to help exhausted bees, but the RSPB warned against the practice as it discouraged pollination. “It’s a nice thing to do and it makes people feel good about themselves,” said an RSPB spokesman, “but it’s only a short term solution for a bee. You’re giving it a sugar buzz when what they really need is nectar.
“What people can do to help is plant flowers that flower all year round.
“We would not advise leaving out sugar and water as bees will go to this rather than a flower because it is easier and then flowers are not being pollinated.”
The BBC confirmed that the post had nothing to do with the broadcaster and naturalist and had asked Facebook to remove the post from its platform.
However, unwitting Twitter users were also spreading the fake advice and some were already trying it out.
One user posted a picture and wrote: “Home to a crashed bee … Read article on web how to revive bees. Puts two spoons of white granulated sugar on old saucer along with one spoon of water. Adds bee. Waits for happy ending.”
But in a subsequent tweet she noted that the bee was looking worse. Another person posted: “Saw a bee struggling on the grass … I fed it some sugar and water got it onto the spoon and after about two minutes it flew off. I am basically David Attenborough now, right?”
Manx Wildlife Trust on the Isle of Man also tweeted about helping a bee with water and sugar but has since said it would advise people “not to try sugared water at all”.
A spokesman said: “It appears there is a risk that people make it too strong and it blocks the bee’s proboscis. Sugared water should never be left out and only used in an emergency.”
It comes after fake videos claiming to be BBC News reports circulated showing the outbreak of nuclear war between Russian and Nato forces earlier this year.
Jamie Angus, who heads the World Service and BBC World News, said combating “fake news” was “an increasingly large part of my world”.