The United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the first time has declared a bee species in the continental US to be endangered.

There are currently 47 known bumblebee species in North America. The endangered bee species is the bumblebee, the rusty patched bumblebee to "bee" exact. This bumblebee's population is in decline and could become extinct.

The rusty patched bumblebee is found in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin in the United States and Ontario in Canada.

Around the world there are roughly 20 thousand species of bees. There are more bee species around the world than bird, amphibian, reptile, or mammal species.

To Bee Or Not To Bee

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Bees are important to our agricultural (food production) industry. Bees pollinate an estimated 35 percent of the world's food. The bumblebee helps to pollinate a varieties of foods including tomatoes, cranberries, blueberries, and melons. Without pollinators there would be a serious impact to the agricultural industry and plants.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service currently has 7 other species of Hawaiian yellow-faced bees on the endangered list.

Source and Full Article

Bumblebee is first bee in continental US to be listed as endangered, CNN, 10 January 2017

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There are likely many factors contributing to the decline in the bumblebee population. And GMO could certainly be a contributor. Pesticide/herbicide use could certainly be a contributor too.

If the Northern Hemisphere is about to go through a mini-Ice Age then there will be species at risk due to natural conditions too.

If experience has taught me anything through the millennia, there have been many species on this planet that have come and gone in this ever changing world and universe.

Steem on,
Mike

All you have to do is look at the colony collapse in Ontario a few years ago when they first introduced GMOs to the region. Bee colonies fine before GMO and massive die off the same year GMOs are introduced.

There's your smoking gun evidence.

Here in Mallorca we seem to have more bumblebees than ever, nice post follower of yours now I am

Thank you!

One year, here in eastern Nebraska, there seemed to be an explosion in the bumblebee population. But I have not seen that many bumblebees around during the summer of 2016.

Steem on,
Mike

The loss of bees is very disturbing.
Not sure how far I trust CNN though.

First Bee Species In UScon To Be Listed As Endangered Is The BumblebeesteemCreated with Sketch.

To Bee Or Not To Bee

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First Bee Species In UScon To Be Listed As Endangered Is The Bumblebee