Bumblebee blues: Pacific NW pollinator in trouble

BOISE, Idaho (AP) – A three-year project to get a better understanding of the distribution of nearly 30 bumblebee species in the Pacific Northwest and why some appear to be declining is, well, buzzing along.

The Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas for Idaho, Oregon and Washington that started this month aims to accumulate detailed information about bumblebees with the help of hundreds of citizen scientists spreading out across the three states.

Experts say bumblebees are important pollinators for both wild and agricultural plants, but some species have disappeared from places where they were once common.

The same factors that have been killing honeybees might be at work.

Scientists hope to accumulate enough information to recommend ways to conserve bumblebees and their habitat.