Illinois nature lovers and scientists warn of population declines among native bees and other pollinators.

by Rebecca Johnson

Barbara Williams zeros in on a patch of yellow wildflowers with her binoculars. She leans in slightly, her beetle earrings jangling, and proclaims “that’s definitive.”

Williams has spotted the rusty patched bumblebee. Perched on the petals of the cup plant, the bee is identifiable based on its black and white stripes and the tawny patch on its second abdominal segment.

“She is undoubtedly a she,” Williams remarks as the bee flies to a different flower. “The workers, the ones that do all the serious foraging, are females.”…

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* THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.