The American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), once widespread across much of the country, has seen a drastic decline in the past two decades. It is estimated that its population has decreased by at least ninety percent and that it has disappeared in eight states where it previously lived. Lack of native plant species, and pesticide use, are two main causes of this decline.
The American bumblebee has been petitioned to be listed as an endangered species. This is currently under consideration by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
When an American bumble bee is spotted today, it is usually in the southern part of its historic range having disappeared from much of the northern part of its range, including northern Illinois. However, due to a bit of luck and good timing, one of our Sag Moraine members spotted and photographed an American bumble bee queen foraging in her landscape for more than an hour on September 25, 2024.
While photographed here on Mexican sunflower, the suburban yard where it was photographed consists of sixty to seventy percent native plants. This is a great example of how the things we plant in our landscapes can make a big difference. Here is a species that was thought to no longer live in this area, foraging in a local landscape and forming a colony nearby.
If we plant it they will come. Our choices have a great impact.