OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST, Wash. (AP) — Few creatures exist closer to the front lines of climate change than wild, native bees. The Seattle Times reports bees face existential threats including habitat loss through agriculture, construction and urban development; pesticides, harmful chemicals; and competition from domesticated honeybees. Add to that list the growing impacts of a warming planet — wildfires, heat waves and drought — and the gravity of the situation lurches into focus. In Washington state understanding the emerging perils faced by native bees could prove vital in their conservation and protection. Across the state, researchers and conservationists are doing just that.
Threatened wild bees get help from Washington researchers
