Chances are good a bee will sting you in New York

The most interesting nugget from a New York Times report Tuesday about the swarms of bees descending upon New York this spring is that the New York Police Department has an officer whose job is to respond to bee-related calls. Officer Anthony Planakis has handled beemergencies since 1995, indicating a long-term (!) problem. Who knew that A) there was a bee beat for cops and B) that New York needed a cop to handle bees? In any case, the resurgence of bees in the city is likely related to an unusually mild winter that allowed more bees to survive. Not everyone is freaked out — some New Yorkers find the bees divine.