Buzz, buzz. Last June, Seth Christian spotted a bee near a patch of purple flowers in Wenatchee, Washington. He swept his net over the bee and put it in a container. After taking photos, Christian set it free.

The insect was a western bumblebee. The population of this species in the United States dropped by 57 percent from 1998 to 2020. 

It’s just one of many bee species facing serious decline. Christian volunteers with the Xerces Society, an organization that works to protect insects. He counts and tracks bees. As a farmer, Christian knows how crucial bees are. 

“They’re just so important to so many of my crops,” he says. 

And it’s not just crops that need bees. The tiny insects keep other plants healthy too. 

Buzz, buzz. Last June, Seth Christian saw a bee. It was near purple flowers in Wenatchee, Washington. He swept his net over the bee. Then he put it in a container. After taking photos, Christian set it free.

The insect was a western bumblebee. The population of this species in the United States fell from 1998 to 2020. It dropped by 57 percent.

It’s just one of many bee species in decline. Christian volunteers with the Xerces Society. That’s an organization that works to protect insects. Christian helps track bees. As a farmer, he knows how important bees are.

“They’re just so important to so many of my crops,” he says.

And it’s not just crops that need bees. The insects keep other plants healthy too.

When you think of bees, you likely picture honeybees (see sidebar). But there are more than 4,000 bee species in the U.S. Despite differences in size, color, and behavior, they share one important job: pollination.

Bees move from flower to flower drinking a sweet liquid called nectar. As they do, they spread pollen, a fine powder made by the plants. This helps countless plants reproduce, providing food for animals.

“There would just be a lot fewer plants and a lot fewer animals around without bees,” says T’ai Roulston. He’s a bee expert and professor at the University of Virginia. 

Bees also help plants grow fruits and seeds, which produce foods like cherries, apples, and avocados. Scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of pollinators like bees.

When you think of bees, you likely picture honeybees (see sidebar). But there are more than 4,000 bee species in the U.S. They’re different in size, color, and behavior. Yet they share one important job: pollination.

Bees move from flower to flower drinking a sweet liquid called nectar. As they do, they spread pollen. That’s a fine powder made by the plants. This helps many plants reproduce, providing food for animals.

“There would just be a lot fewer plants and a lot fewer animals around without bees,” says T’ai Roulston. He’s a bee expert and professor at the University of Virginia.

Bees also help plants grow fruits and seeds. These produce foods like cherries, apples, and avocados. According to scientists, one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of pollinators. 

That’s why the decline in bees is so alarming. In North America, about 35 percent of native bee species are at risk of extinction. 

One major threat is habitat loss. Bees rely on wildflowers for nectar. But many fields and meadows have been cleared to make way for farmland, roads, and buildings.

Pesticides are another danger. Farmers spray these chemicals to protect crops from harmful bugs. But they can also poison bees. 

Honeybees, which are not native to the U.S., pose a problem too. They can spread diseases to other bees and compete with them for food.

That’s why the drop in bees is so alarming. In North America, about 35 percent of native bee species are at risk of extinction. 

One major threat is habitat loss. Bees rely on wildflowers for nectar. But many fields have been cleared to make way for farmland and buildings.

Pesticides are another threat. Farmers spray these chemicals to protect crops from harmful bugs. But they can also poison bees.

Honeybees pose a problem too. Honeybees aren’t native to the U.S. They can spread diseases to other bees. They also compete with them for food.