Drummond, Bickerman-Martens discuss plight of bumblebee with BDN

The Bangor Daily News interviewed Francis Drummond, professor emeritus of insect ecology and insect pest management at the University of Maine, and Kalyn Bickerman-Martens, a Ph.D. candidate in ecology and environmental sciences at UMaine, about the plight of the American Bumblebee. According to the BDN, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will evaluate whether to list the species as endangered after experiencing significant population declines. “It’s a warning that in general, all of the bumblebees are under stress and we’re starting to lose species,” Drummond said. “People say, ‘Hey, I see plenty of bumblebees in our garden,’ but a lot of people don’t realize we have multiple species of bumblebees and they all have their own specific ecological niches that they fill,” Bickerman-Martens said.