Decline in bee populations observed in the Northeast region

Over the past 150 years, bee populations in the Northeast have declined significantly, primarily due to habitat fragmentation caused by human activities. Among these, the bumblebee genus Bombus has experienced particularly severe and rapid declines, according to entomologists in a study published on March 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers analyzed data from the Cornell University Insect Collection, which houses around 7 million specimens, along with collections from institutions like the American Museum of Natural History, Rutgers University, and the University of Connecticut, to assess bee abundance trends in eastern North America over 140 years.