Not a single native plant in North or South America actually needs a honeybee to survive, so long as native bees thrive

So we've been lied to about honey bees?

Headline: Newly discovered non-stinging bees generate buzz in US
Article: A new bee is buzzing in New York City

So which is it?

Also, these are newly discovered? We call 'em "study bees" because of the way they hover, 'staring' at you while they wait for you to stop moving so they can land on ya.

They are very common here in southwestern Va., but I think I recall them on Long Island.

Or is that something different?

What can I eat to keep the mosquitoes away?

ArcadianRefugee: Headline: Newly discovered non-stinging bees generate buzz in US
Article: A new bee is buzzing in New York City

New York City is inside the US. Or are you just pissed that your salsa comes from there?

I do not think sweat bees are something new.

MarkEC: Not a single native plant in North or South America actually needs a honeybee to survive, so long as native bees thrive

So we've been lied to about honey bees?
Aside from that habit for native bees has been wiped out and paved over and also that much of the fruits and vegetables you eat aren't native to North or South America then yes.

So these are the urban B-boyz and B-girlz I keep hearing about!

Have you ever seen the slightly NSFW movie, Attack of the Bee-Girls? It's crap. I have seen some of the worst movies of all times, including the good ones, and this is bad. I don't think that the MST3K guys would touch it with a ten foot robot arm.

Bees pollinate the majority of our food crops, including about one quarter of fruits and vegetables. Mostly it is the European honey bee which has been bred for honey and for pollination. Thousands of other species of bees specialize in many non-crop flowers, although they may pollinate crop species as well. Pesticides wreck havoac among both domesticated and wild bees, and even GM crops which have been modified to be toxic to insect pests can also kill bees.

What you have heard about bees is essentially true: they are a vital thread in the food web for us and most other species of plant and animal. We must respect and cherish the bees, even those that seem useless, for they may have a role we do not completely understand and don't want to learn about through ecological disaster.

Also, Bee Movie was entertaining but not great, and scientifically it was only so-so. It was correct, however, to point out how serious the loss of honey bees would be economically and ecologically, let alone the rest of the bees we scarcely even notice, except for the Bumble Bee which is large and cute and stings like a mother.

Counter_Intelligent: ArcadianRefugee: Headline: Newly discovered non-stinging bees generate buzz in US
Article: A new bee is buzzing in New York City

New York City is inside the US. Or are you just pissed that your salsa comes from there?

If the article were, say, bbc.com, or cnn.com international edition, you would have a valid point. Seeing as how the article is an American site, to generalize it as US when it is only NYC is stupid, as are you for even commenting.

And all my salsa comes from the US. Who the fark spends money to import salsa?

ArcadianRefugee: New York City is inside the US. Or are you just pissed that your salsa comes from there?


And all my salsa comes from the US. Who the fark spends money to import salsa?

Maybe they're not up to pace with old salsa commercials?

But what about the hugbees?

/Probably not that obscure.

I can remember sweat bees from my youth in the 80's...

Old news is REALLY OLD.