How endangered are honey bees?

The agency in September listed seven varieties of yellow-faced, or masked, bees in Hawaii as endangered. But Bombus affinis is the first bumble bee species to given that status, and the first wild bee of any kind to be listed in the Lower 48 states. read more

Bumble bees, as distinguished from domesticated honey bees, are essential pollinators of wildflowers and about a third of all U.S. crops, from blueberries to tomatoes, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, which petitioned the government for protection of the insect. read more

Gardeners accustomed to the familiar buzz heard instead the sound of silence. With no bees to bring pollen from plant to plant, gardeners raised fewer apples, cucumbers and zucchini, and what did grow was puny. As cold weather bears down again, bees are once again endangered. read more

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given endangered status to seven species of yellow-faced bees native to the islands. These are "the first bees in the country to be protected under the Endangered Species Act," according to the Xerces Society, which advocated for the new designation. read more