The Health of º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Bumble Bee Community
Principal Investigator: Frank Drummond (Biology and Ecology, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø)
Partners:Â Scott Dobrin (Biology, UMPI); Ron Butler (Biology, UMFA); Joseph Staples (Environmental Sciences, USM); Christopher Lage (Biology, UMA)
Abstract: The goal of this project is to investigate the ‘health’ of º£½ÇÉçÇø bumble bees in light of their critical importance to º£½ÇÉçÇø commercial businesses. Since 2006, global concern has emerged about decline of bumble bees. This is due to the collapse of the honey bee, a pollinator that is a major component of both global and º£½ÇÉçÇø agricultural production. Bee decline is a serious matter and requires a large team to investigate its multiple dimensions.