Insect conservationists with the Portland-based Xerces Society don't know yet why an estimated 25,000 bumble bees have dropped dead in a Target parking lot in Wilsonville.

They were found under a dozens of European linden trees Monday, raising the question of whether the insects were killed by a poisonous species of linden tree or by pesticide poisoning.

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Filed under: Environment, Flora and Fauna, Bee colony collapse, Xerces Society

New Seasons Market placed two colonies of honeybees on the rooftop of its Happy Valley store yesterday as part of a new campaign to discourage people from using pesticides at home.

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Filed under: Fish & Wildlife, Environment, Bee colony collapse

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the Franklin's bumble bee as a possible candidate for the endangered species list. Researchers haven't seen the Oregon and California native since 2006. And they're starting to wonder if it's extinct. Continue reading →

Filed under: Fish & Wildlife, Agriculture, Bee colony collapse, Franklin's bumble bees, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Xerces Society

Tainted and diluted Chinese honey is still flowing into U.S. markets despite a ban, a steep tariff and a major food fraud indictment, American beekeepers told the Toronto Globe and Mail last week. Continue reading →

Filed under: Water, Agriculture, Bee colony collapse, contaminated food, Foodie Friday

The numbers of four common species of bumblebee in the U.S. have dropped 96 percent in the past few decades, according to the most comprehensive census to date. The decline surprised scientists, and it has major implications for the pollination of wild and farmed plants. Continue reading →

Filed under: Fish & Wildlife, Agriculture, Bee colony collapse