news bee
A hover fly that hangs in your face like it came to deliver gossip.
Also called good news bee, gossip bee, hover fly.
Updated September 24, 2026
news bee pronunciation
/NOOZ bee/
Meaning
In Appalachian and rural Southern talk, a news bee is that yellow-and-black hover fly that parks in midair right in front of you and buzzes like it has something to say. It is not a real bee and it will not sting. Old folks said it was bringing news, good or bad. Kids still get told not to swat it. The name sticks because the bug acts like the neighborhood gossip with wings.
How folks use it
- “Don't swat that news bee; it's just telling you something.”
- “A news bee hovered by my ear the whole time I was hanging clothes.”
Origin and etymology
Mountain folklore named the fly for how it hovers close, as if delivering a message. Writers and locals often point to Milesia virginiensis and related flower flies. Steve Roark and other Appalachian notes record luck lore: yellow for good news, darker for bad, and a buzz by the ear for news on the way. DARE also caught news bee once as a name for a talky gathering, which fits the gossip feel of the phrase.
Frequently asked questions
Will a news bee sting you?
No. It is a fly that only looks like a bee. The buzz is show, not a weapon.