BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont’s bee population has grown significantly since the last comprehensive survey, with researchers discovering nine species completely new to the state, according to new research from the University of Vermont’s Gund Institute.
The study marks the first statewide count since 1962, when Vermont had only 98 documented bee species. The state now has 352 species, making it home to the most bee species in northern New England.
Researchers say Vermont’s diverse terrain, coupled with climate change, may be contributing factors to the increase. The growth also reflects increased effort to search for new species.
“We have this amazing community of bee experts and bee enthusiasts in Vermont that are just sampling our state really thoroughly and really getting a thrill out of finding bees that we may not have known are here, finding records of bees that we already know,” said Taylor Ricketts, director of UVM’s Gund Institute for Environment.
Of Vermont’s bee species, Ricketts said about a third are endangered in the state, about a third are stable and about a third fall somewhere in between.
To protect bee populations, researchers recommend planting pollinator gardens, ensuring bees have nesting places by keeping soil undisturbed, and minimizing dangerous pesticides.
The findings come as Vermont prepares to ban the use of neonicotinoids, which experts consider dangerous chemicals for bees.
