Federal wildlife biologists are considering whether to declare wild bumblebees endangered, reports The Denver Post. Wild bumblebee populations are suffering across the western United States and at least one species, Franklin’s bumblebee, may already be extinct.
Environmental advocates have long called on the federal government to do more to control the spread of disease from commercial hives, which they blame for plummeting wild bee populations. Advocates say that commercial hives should only be permitted to cross state lines if they’re proven to be pathogen-free.
“The situation has deteriorated. There are areas of the country where there used to be bumblebees and they are now absent,” says Jay Tutchton, an attorney for Defenders of Wildlife, the organization that originally pushed the government to review whether wild bumblebee populations need federal protection.