> Birmingham bees do well from the well-established lime trees lining many of
the streets; cars parked under them do not do as well.

I was going to say, I doubt bees would do so well if it weren't for the abundance of Tilia (lime tree, basswoord, linden)

> Do we really need bees there, other than to keep beekeepers amused? 

Nothing wrong with that, really. Having bees in the urban environment has many benefits, aside from pollination. It exposes people to the real world where insects are considered a good thing and not just pests. I would still be a beekeeper even if it cost me. 

By the way, most of our best honey plants in this area are on the invasive species hit list, especially japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr. Synonym: Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc.) but many others as well. 

PLB

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