Bumblebees Buck the Trend and Hold Their Own
31 May 2017
But Colorado’s non-native honeybees are still in decline, and local beekeepers say they’re experiencing high losses this year
By Carol Brock Contrary to the national trend, Boulder County bumblebees are holding their own, say researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder. In a study published in the Journal of Insect Conservation, the researchers found the county’s bee-friendly practices, like pollinator-friendly plantings and neonicotinoid-free neighborhoods and parks, are helping local bumblebee populations survive. In fact, undergraduate volunteers found two native species headed for extinction in other parts of North America at several locales here. “It shows Boulder County is doing something right in maintaining as much green space and floral resources as it has,” says study coauthor Diana Oliveras, biology instructor in CU’s Baker Residential Academic Program.
