The bee in this girl’s bonnet refuses to leave

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Lots of people have stories about being best friends with dogs, cats, horses, dolphins and other mammals. But in Coventry, England, 13-year-old Lacey Shillinglaw got to be best mates with a bumblebee, and her story is putting huge smiles on people’s faces. Lacey was walking her dog in August when she spotted a large bumblebee lying on the road. The bee had a crumpled wing, and Lacey picked it up and gently placed it on some flowers in a nearby park so the bee could heal and not be accidentally stepped on. But the bee refused to lie still and followed Lacey as she tried to go her way. Eventually, Lacey took the bee home, naming it “Betty.” Now Lacey and Betty are inseparable. The bee follows her beloved friend everywhere, including the stores and local bowling alley, where she stayed perched on Lacey for two-and-a-half hours. They share snacks like “jammie dodgers,” which are shortbread cookies with a jam filling. Betty goes for the jam, while Lacey nibbles on the cookie part. Otherwise, Lacey feeds Betty sugar and water and takes her friend into the garden to drink nectar from the flowers. But Betty stays outside only as long as Lacey does. As soon as Lacey goes back inside the house, Betty follows. Her favorite hangout spot is the back of Lacey’s neck or inside her sleeve. At night, Betty has her own bed — a pot without a lid — beside Lacey’s bed. Bumblebees can sting humans repeatedly with no damage to themselves, which separates them from honeybees. No one can explain why Betty seems so attached to Lacey alone, as the bee has shown no interest in other family members. Lacey’s mother Laura told reporters: “She absolutely loves her. It’s completely lovely and also bonkers.” This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.