Homeowner stunned as neighbor considers unbelievable lawsuit: 'How very neighborly'

A Reddit user highlighted an angry homeowner who wanted to sue their neighbor over their backyard beehive.

"How very neighborly," wrote the Redditor above a picture of the post from the Best of Nextdoor account on X, formerly Twitter. The original poster asked if they had grounds to seek a settlement from the neighbors because their bees had been coming into their garden and stealing the pollen or nectar from their flowers.

The OP added that their neighbors made money selling their honey that was produced by some of the pollen collected from their garden and felt it notable that they'd never received a jar in compensation. "Do I have legal grounds to sue?" the neighbor asked.

It seems likely the OP didn't understand that the bees were providing them a service and keeping their garden looking pretty instead of stealing the pollen from their flowers. This is because by pollinating plants, bees help them to reproduce.

There are more than 4,000 bee species in the United States, and honey bees alone pollinate 80% of all flowering plants, including more than 130 different types of fruits and vegetables, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately, many of these species are in decline because of land-use changes for agriculture or urbanization, habitat destruction, and the use of pesticides.

Planting a native plant garden is a great way to support local pollinators like birds, bees, and butterflies because it provides them with food and habitat. It also helps reduce the cost of maintaining a garden because native plants require less water and you don't need to use additional fertilizers and pesticides which is good for the insects.

Unfortunately, neighbors up and down the country have been preventing people from making eco-friendly, money-saving upgrades to their homes, such as rewilding their yards. Sometimes engaging in a conversation about the topic and explaining how it helps improve your home and protect the planet can help change their minds.

Many people who commented on this post couldn't believe the neighbor wanted to sue nature.

"Imagine being upset that your garden is getting free bees," one commenter wrote.

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Bees provide a free service to everyone. If anything you should be paying your beekeeping neighbor," added another.

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