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Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Officially Listed As Endangered

yung_dood

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Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Officially Listed As Endangered

MAR 21, 2017 @ 12:53 PM

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Officially Listed As Endangered | @GrrlScientist

After the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated their populations had declined by as much as 95%, the rusty patched bumble bee is the first native bee species to be listed as endangered in the continental United States

On 11 January, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a rule to list the rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis, as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Thanks to interference by the current White House administration, at the urging of several corporations, the effective date for this listing was postponed from 10 February until today.

The campaign to list the rusty patched bumblebee as endangered began after the USFWS estimated that the species had declined by as much as 95%. Originally found throughout grasslands and tall grass prairies in 31 eastern and mid-western states, and in southern Canada, the species now comprises tiny, isolated populations in just 12 states and in the province of Ontario.


“There are a few little spots where we know they are,” said James Strange, a research entomologist and bumble bee ecologist at the USDA.

“But only a really few spots.”

Listing the rusty patched bumble bee was historic because this is the first bumble bee species, and the first bee found on the continental United States, to ever be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This listing is the result of a five-year campaign by environmental groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and based on input from tens of thousands of citizen scientists and private citizens.

This bee's dramatic decline is not the result of any one event. Instead, it is the result of many human-caused factors that feed back on each other and amplify their effects. Both urban and agricultural sprawl certainly play an important role. Agriculture's shift from small family farms producing a variety of crops to huge corporate monopolies that produce just one or two crops have destroyed vast stretches of available habitat fragments filled with native wildflowers and terrain that feed and house bumble bees and other native pollinator species.

"Of additional concern is the widespread use of persistent, long-lasting, highly toxic insecticides within the range of the rusty patched bumble bee, which pose a threat to its continued existence," said Sarina Jepsen, Director of Endangered Species and Aquatic Conservation at the Xerces Society.

CropLife America, the trade group representing pesticide manufacturers, mentioned in a statement that “field studies have consistently found no unreasonable adverse effects on pollinator populations when pesticides are applied according to label directions.” But the USFWS proposes that native bumble bees could be more sensitive to the effects of pesticides than domesticated commercial honeybees.

“There is a whole suite of insecticides that are broadly used throughout North America and the only species that the toxicity has been tested on is the honeybee,” pointed out Rich Hatfield, a conservation biologist with the Xerces Society who helped launch the petition to list the rusty patched bumble bee.

“Using [honeybees] as proxy for all the bee species in North America is not appropriate,” Mr. Hatfield said.

Another issue receiving widespread attention is disease: commercially reared bees tend to be infected with a variety of diseases and pathogens that can take a toll on wild bumble bees. Other factors that are impacting bumble bees include competition from non-native honeybees; the effects of extremely small populations, and climate change.

In addition to being native species that evolved alongside their flowering plants, bumble bees are critically important crop pollinators in their own right. Bumble bees are generalists, and they are the key pollinators for a variety of important crops such as apples, plums, onions, melons, squash, alfalfa and peppers.

"Native pollinators in the U.S. provide essential pollination services to agriculture which are valued at more than $9 billion annually," said Eric Lee-Mäder, co-director of the the pollinator program at the Xerces Society.

Bumble bees specialize in an unusual form of pollination known as "buzz pollination" or "sonication", where the bee hangs from the flower and vibrates its flight muscles rapidly, which shakes loose pollen that is held tightly by the flower. Although only 8% of plants rely upon buzz pollination, these include some of our favorite food crops, such as tomatoes, potatoes, blueberries and cranberries.

Bumble bees are generally cold-tolerant insects, but even amongst their relatives, the rusty patched bumble bee is special; it flies in cold temperatures and at elevations that even many species of bumblebees cannot deal with. This cold-tolerance means that rusty-patched bumble bees are active for much of the year, and thus, they require access to a variety of flowers over a long period of time.

How you can help bumble bees and other native insect pollinators

plant native wildflowers that bloom throughout the year in containers on your window sill, porch or deck, or in your garden. Since these flowers attract bumble bees and other pollinators, they will enhance pollination of your fruit and vegetable crops too
avoid all pesticide use. Instead, use a "companion planting" system to discourage pests from snacking on your plants
provide bee/insect hotels for insects to nest in

work with the citizen science group, Bumble Bee Watch, to help identify and locate bumble bee species all across North America

https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2017/03/21/rusty-patched-bumble-bee-officially-listed-as-endangered/#209468cf1b7e
 

escapefromstress

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There's a British TV series called Black Mirror. One of their episodes is about how all the real bees have died off, so they create zillions of mini-drone bees to pollinate the world's vegetation.

These drones are computer controlled, so what happens when someone hacks into a hive and sends millions of drone bees to attack people who are their enemies ... ?
 

TFZL1

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2015
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I thought a 'Rusty Patched Bumble Bee' was and old grumpy Camaro that turns into a new one :)
 

Zaibetter

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Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Officially Listed As Endangered

MAR 21, 2017 @ 12:53 PM

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Officially Listed As Endangered | @GrrlScientist

After the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated their populations had declined by as much as 95%, the rusty patched bumble bee is the first native bee species to be listed as endangered in the continental United States

CropLife America, the trade group representing pesticide manufacturers, mentioned in a statement that “field studies have consistently found no unreasonable adverse effects on pollinator populations when pesticides are applied according to label directions.” But the USFWS proposes that native bumble bees could be more sensitive to the effects of pesticides than domesticated commercial honeybees.

“There is a whole suite of insecticides that are broadly used throughout North America and the only species that the toxicity has been tested on is the honeybee,” pointed out Rich Hatfield, a conservation biologist with the Xerces Society who helped launch the petition to list the rusty patched bumble bee.

“Using [honeybees] as proxy for all the bee species in North America is not appropriate,” Mr. Hatfield said.
How you can help bumble bees and other native insect pollinators

plant native wildflowers that bloom throughout the year in containers on your window sill, porch or deck, or in your garden. Since these flowers attract bumble bees and other pollinators, they will enhance pollination of your fruit and vegetable crops too
avoid all pesticide use. Instead, use a "companion planting" system to discourage pests from snacking on your plants
provide bee/insect hotels for insects to nest in

work with the citizen science group, Bumble Bee Watch, to help identify and locate bumble bee species all across North America

https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2017/03/21/rusty-patched-bumble-bee-officially-listed-as-endangered/#209468cf1b7e
We need to protect our bees.
I fully support this, they're killing our bees. People don't understand how important bees are for the pollination of flowers, fruit etc. Companies that make chemicals that affect nature should be prosecuted and jailed.
 

Insidious Von

My head is my home
Sep 12, 2007
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Bad news.

The Bumble Bees have a duel role, they pollinate both plants and the eggs of the Queen Bee. They don't collect nectar to make honey, they consume it so they can fertilize the eggs. If the Queen loses her smile the hive dies.
 

Aardvark154

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Jan 19, 2006
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Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Officially Listed As Endangered

This bee's dramatic decline is not the result of any one event. Instead, it is the result of many human-caused factors that feed back on each other and amplify their effects. Both urban and agricultural sprawl certainly play an important role. Agriculture's shift from small family farms producing a variety of crops to huge corporate monopolies that produce just one or two crops have destroyed vast stretches of available habitat fragments filled with native wildflowers and terrain that feed and house bumble bees and other native pollinator species.
Equally tragic are the endangerment of both this Bumble Bee and the Family Farm.
 

TFZL1

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2015
1,132
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I wish I could remember the name of the movie I saw about saving the Bees. It showed how important bees are to our survival. It was an end of the world disaster movie, but made a point of showing how important bees were. They risked thier lives to save the bees, to ensure the survival of mankind.
 

Insidious Von

My head is my home
Sep 12, 2007
38,084
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There is a show about what would happen in a world without pollinators it's called: Chairman Mao's Great Leap Forward.
 
Ashley Madison
Toronto Escorts