I might as well ask this since I got stung or bit by a bee yesterday during America day.
Last year, when taking strolls, it was rare enough for a bee to swarm around me that I could go whole strolls without it happening sometimes.
This year, they swarm around me everywhere. Everywhere. It’s like fighting your way through putty patrollers. They respawn instantly, there’s absolutely no lag. Shoo one away and one comes back five seconds later. Sometimes for three hour strolls encompassing six miles.
What the heck happened? Anyone else notice this?
No, but if you are, I’d call it an encouraging sign.
I haven’t noticed, and was about to reply with a story about the declining bee population. But a quick Google search says that yes, the bees are back in town
Edited to a non-paywalled link:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hobbyist-beekeepers-buzzing-reversing-america-212213119.html
There’s a WaPo article too for those who want that
A part of the problem is importing bees people think are “more efficient”. The old reasoning was that American bees were clunky and not as rapidly efficient as European bees, so the latter were brought over, but not only did this cause the American ones to be threatened by competition but also that vegetation swayed in favor of what European bees preferred while things only American bees would’ve pollinated waned. It’s those European bees who are hording after me while I’m outside.
Bees specifically? Or do you mean wasps and hornets? I haven’t seen a bee in literal years, maybe since I was a kid. Wasps and other fuckers are annoyingly common enough. I have some in the back of my place. I can’t even leave the window open for fresh air because they are somehow able to sneak in through the screen (I can’t discern visible holes in the screen).
Yes, European bees to be specific (though not actually in Europe, European bees are just an invasive species here because people thought they’d be more productive than local bees if brought over, with the American bumblebee being endangered). If I was dealing with wasps, I’d probably be in much bigger trouble being stung/bitten, though fortunately the ones I deal with are more like flu shots when they strike, and I’m not allergic.
I have because my garden is booming and they’re loving it
Bees? I wish. I’ve seen an increase in wasps.
It’s expected, though. They love warm weather. We’re going to keep seeing an increase in wasp populations with climate change.
