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Erika Thompson is a professional beekeeper located in Austin, Texas. She started making videos on her Texas Bee Works TikTok account back in 2016 of her doing daily work with some bee hives.

The thing about her videos that caught the most attention was the fact that she wasn’t wearing the usual protective gear that you may think of when you see a beekeeper. There was no big white suit or hat with a protective netting around her face, not even gloves. Thompson would simply be in her jeans and a top, looking like she's ready for a day out on the town.

People were shocked by this and wanted to know more about how she did her job. Thompson continued posting educational videos that have gained millions of views. One of my favorite things she's posted about is how to differentiate the queen bee from the worker bees. She also makes videos documenting how she handles moving unwanted hives from someone’s property without needing an exterminator.

Thompson has managed to shine a light on a profession that most people are not exposed to. She's also been able to show the gentle nature of bees and that her understanding of their behavior is what allows her to safely handle them without the need for protective gear.

It's absolutely impressive what she's managed to accomplish. Her lowest-viewed video still has more than 2.8 million views. Her most viewed video is currently sitting at over 94.5 million views. Thompson’s TikTok account has gained 7.5 million followers and almost 95 million likes in just a few years. She has even removed bees from a tree near Jason Derulo's home.

I highly suggest checking out her content to see that bees really aren’t scary critters. If you're having an issue with an unwanted bee hive on your property, then I encourage you to contact a local beekeeper to see if they can come by the get the hive.

Bees are necessary for our environment, and the last thing we want to do is exterminate a whole hive when they could simply be relocated.

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