Clues show that their immune genes are under selection, pointing to disease as a likely cause of yellow-banded bumblebee. By sequencing the genome of the yellow-banded bumblebee, York University researchers have found that inbreeding and disease are likely culprits in their rapid decline in North America. This is believed to be the first time the genome … More Inbreeding and disease are factors in decline of yellow-banded bumblebee

Exposure to thiamethoxam reduces the chances of a bumblebee queen starting a new colony by more than a quarter. Bumblebees are less able to start colonies when exposed to a common neonicotinoid pesticide, according to a new University of Guelph study. Prof. Nigel Raine has discovered that exposure to thiamethoxam reduces the chances of a … More Neonics put bumblebees at risk of extinction by hindering colony formation, study reveals