Obama Administration Moves to Protect Endangered Bumblebee

The rusty-patched bumblebee, which was once common across the continental United States, is now the first bumblebee to be added to the endangered species list. The seven bees that were previously listed are all found only in Hawaii.

The rusty-patched bumblebee’s population has plunged by 90 percent since the late 1990s as a result of factors including exposure to pesticides, climate change, habitat loss and disease.

The new designation will improve efforts to protect the bumblebees’ habitat and reduce the use of the pesticides that are killing them. — Read it at The New York Times