I wonder if he'll be chattering that mindless clap if the honeybee becomes extinct..... Honey bees are lucky to have lived this long. They are not a native species, anyways.
And..? Yes, honeybees were imported by Eurpeans apparently almost 400 years ago. Of course we had many pollinators at that time, none producing honey I suppose.
The bees have been naturalized for such a long time, that to lose them at this point could be calamitous. They pollinate about 25% ot the world's flowering plants. It is still be debated as to whether their pollinating has had a detrimental affect on native bees.
In any case, the loss of perhaps 80% of colonies in some areas, is already having consequences for fammers. Many of them raising non native crop. Citrus farmers in Floriada are beng affected, not to mention the almond growers. And one of the largest aliens species introduced in the US is cattle. Cattle eat clover as part of their diet. What will our ranch folks do if their cows aren't thriving so well because the honybee isn't there