Killer Bees Making Super Coffee

inblosam writes "An article at cnn.com describes how a insect-pollinated coffee bean plant actually has an increased yield, by 50 percent or more, when a killer bee does the pollination. The gene mixing allows for better gene selection, making better and bigger beans. Way to go killer bees. If the bees don't kill you, the gallons of coffee may." I guess I don't understand why it matters that it's a killer bee versus a regular bee. Maybe the killer bees travel farther, mixing up the pollen better?

Comments

Re:Yield 50% improved by ANY insect

[realgone]

Any other insect would do just as well, but a headline with "Killer Bees" in the title will grab a lot more attention

I'll admit that, for a minute, I thought you were pulling my leg. But I went ahead and dropped "killer bees" into the last five Slashdot headlines and damned if they didn't seem more exciting all of a sudden.

• Visual Studio .Net: Now with more Killer Bees
• Science: Killer Bees Making Super Coffee (well, that one was fine as was...)
• Java Meets Killer Bees: Two Reviews (nice bit of serendipity there)
• Walmart Ships PCs With Killer Bees
• McAfee Manufactures Killer Bee Threat

I swear, there's some definite potential here...

Thanks for the mental image

[JUSTONEMORELATTE]

Screw the actual article (or the CNN spin, or the /. re-spin) -- now I've got the mental image of John Belushi from the 1970's SNL set, dressed in his killer bee costume and working the espresso bar.

Thanks! It's good to smile on Fridays!

this is truly astounding

[blablablastuff]

Scientists just discovered that pollination with another plant is more effective than self-pollination.

This literally means that it has taken this long for them to realize that sex is better than masturbation.

we need smarter scientists.