3 Threatened Pollinator Species That Can Use Our Help: The Bumble Bee & Monarch Butterfly

The Western Bumblebee, Rusty Patched Bumblebee & Monarch Butterfly are 3 pollinator species in decline that need our help

Did you know some of our most beautiful and amazing pollinator species are threatened with population collapse? Some worse than others but ultimately they share they same fate unless their conditions change. This has not been a sudden development, rather one overtime that’s seen the negligence from people and an ever changing environment, resulting in the situation we have today.

Follow along to learn the important role these critters have in the ecosystem, why they’re in decline, what the future looks like for them & what we can do to restore this consequential parting.

Who are they? Why are they important?

These are pollinators, they play an important part in keeping nature operating as normal. While they all work towards the same thing, they do have their differences in what makes them who they are! Bumble bee's release their collected pollen from their vibration and fly with tiny wings. On the other hand, the monarch starts out as a caterpillar then flies in migration across the country — over generations!

These beautiful creatures are a marvel in not just in how they exist but in how they help keep our world spinning.

That’s right, without pollinators our world would be a dead wasteland with all our plants and soil degraded & deprived from nutrients — and that’s no overstatement.

Think of our pollinators as the hamster on a wheel and that wheel is a cog spinning with other cogs keeping our natural world (nature, life, environmental health) running smoothly. The catch is, the pollinators may just have the largest cog and without it in sync, all the rest fall out of track and cease to function.

If you’re looking for a visual and trying to have some fun in the process, watch the Bee Movie. It depicts a world of pollinators gone missing and explains why this isn’t a viable option for our home, Earth.

Where to find these threatened pollinator species

Western Bumble Bee

Historically you could find the Western bumblebee between southern Alaska and the Dakotas and as far as southern Saskatchewan to New Mexico.

Unfortunately today, their range has shrunk significantly and are found only in pockets across the western US.

Some hotspots are the Sierra Nevadas, the PNW and Rocky Mountains (US & Alberta). Some places like the Great Plains for example haven’t even sighted this bee in years validating these concerns and perhaps the USFWS thought of intervention.

The USFWS is considering protecting this bee under the Endangered Species Act just like the Monarch. However, the monarch butterfly is further along in this process as they’ve been proposed for a ‘Threatened’ status and will possibly take the designation later this year in 2025.

As for the Western Bumble bee the decline began in the 90’s and has lost over 50% of its habitat since.

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

For those residing in the eastern half of the US, parts of the Midwest & the eastern providences of Canada, you may be more familiar with the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. It’s original buzzing grounds sees almost 90% less Rusty Patchers these days though and is seen the most in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

It’s said sightings are so rare it’s normally citizens reporting them, not teams of scientists/conservationists.

It’s no surprise to learn this bee was listed as ‘Endangered’ in 2017 — worse off then the monarch.

Where they are seen is often in small groups and predominately in the northern US portion of their range. It’s safe to say, the Rusty Patched bumble bee is disappearing but you can still help!

Monarch Butterfly

The Monarch has 2 populations categorized by region of residence and migration pattern. The Eastern population is located from southern Canada to the Gulf coast, staying east of the Rockies and migrating to Mexico. The western population resides west of the Front Range/Rocky Mountains and migrates to California. However, when you see a monarch just know you’re only seeing 1 out of 10 of what used to be.

Why are they in decline? Is it all for the same reasons or different?

For the most part these are victims of largely unnecessary circumstance and they face a lot of the same issues contributing to their decline. However, the main issues are the driving causes and the further we exist as our own species, the less this should be able to be gotten away with.

Deforestation, urbanization and the saturating of our plants and soils with toxic chemicals is in my opinion by far the largest reason these populations, among others, are being wiped off our planet. Again, a pattern that’s grown over the years and has only gotten worse with no accountability from the ones creating these issues, only remediation from ones who care and they usually have no ties to the problem causers.

Hmmm, think about that …

Habitat loss and its intricacies inflicted from our modern way of living is a critical issue to address if we’re to bounce these species’ back –– and maintian our pollinators as a whole.

While you can debate these statements, I challenge you to do some research and learn more about it deciding for yourself what the biggest cause of this decline could be. I say it’s human overreach with lack of oversight and accountability. Or to sum it up: ignorance.

The majority of the ones fueling this fire are of course entities out for profit with zero regard for the hand that’s feeding them (our space rock, Earth). Large corporations and farmers growing food for the system or just lost in antiquated methods perpetuate the cycle of a simply unsustainable world. Even the little guy like pest companies killing bees over calling a beekeeper to properly relocate them. It really is all about the bottom line for these players and it’s not the way for a unified world between people & nature.

On the bright side, we truly are living in a time where the masses are waking up to all the uneducated decisions and nefarious activities going on and I think with more attention on things like this, it will only help bring about change on a more foundational level. Like, change in the way we farm and not just a change in the chemicals that we spray.

Remember though, even you, the small gardener or steward can make a difference.

Another issue plaguing these poor guys is the dramatic change in our climate. When it comes to our pollinators, they rely on nectar plants like flowers. Cold snaps after blooms kill off the plants and are no longer able to sustain bees or butterflies throughout the season. These species are reliant on being in sync with plant cycles and with unstable seasons this becomes harder and harder. However, it’s not just cold snaps and early blooms but extreme weather throwing off the ecosystem, stressing the body, the resources and ultimately depleting these populations.

State of the Species

Native Bees:

• 25% of wild bees in North America face extinction.

Western Bumble Bee:

• Classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN but holds no federal designation

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee:

• Listed as Endangered in 2017

• Sightings have become rare and confined

Monarch Butterfly

• is down 90% in the east, 95% in the west – check out our blog on the USFWS proposing the monarch have a designation under the Endangered Species Act.

• The western species began its downfall as early as the 1980’s followed by the eastern population a decade later.

• Today they face extinction by 2080 per the USFWS.

Specific Reasons for Decline

Bees

Western Bumblebee: 

• Disease transferred from commercial bees

• Diseased commercial bee colonies in the 90’s used for greenhouse pollination spilled out into the wild effecting the population.

• Pathogens like mites Varroa or fungus Nosema bombi can attack the colony

• Competition for food with non-native bees

  • Honeybees have up to 50,000 in a single hive vs. a bumble bees 50-400

• Habitat loss

Rusty Patched Bee: 

• loss of tall grass prairie habitat to due agriculture

• Pollutants in the air like nitrogen oxide make flower scents less potent making them harder to find (affects more than just the Rusty Patch)

Monarch Butterfly

• Loss of milkweed — the exclusive menu item for monarch caterpillars.

  • Primarily due to deforestation, urbanization and pesticide/herbicide use

• Not a big enough initiative by private land owners who have large swaths of land to reintroduce milkweed & nectar plants.

• A parasite called Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) which weakens the wings and effects survival — can infect the monarch especially at overwintering sites where there is a dense population

• Overwintering sites in Mexico are threatened by both legal and illegal logging operations

  • In California, it’s more urbanization.

Fun Facts About Each Species

Bees

• Bumble Bees are the wild bees (the nomadic tribe)

  • Are native to N. America and other regions with over 250 species worldwide

• Bumble bees produce small amounts of honey only for themselves

• Honey Bees are domesticated and seen normally in be boxes (the workhorses)

  • Honey bees were introduced to North America in the 17th century, coming from Europe, Africa & parts of Asia

  • Produce lots of honey

• Honey lasts forever and has been found in ancient tombs (from honeybees)

• It’s said the wings of a bee are too small to enable flight and their buzzing creates a vibration that allows them to levitate. However, this sparks debate. What do you think?

• Bees can travel in straight lines with no deviation hinting at another form of flight

• Bumble bees can have hives up to 1700 bees! Still massively dwarfed by honey bees.

Monarch Butterfly

• The milkweed eaten as caterpillars makes them toxic to most predators throughout their lives.

• Monarchs migrate thousands of miles to overwinter in Mexico or California depending on where they reside

  • The migration takes multiple generations

• It takes about 1-2 weeks for a monarch caterpillar to transform into a butterfly

• The monarch is a symbol of transformation, rebirth, hope and resilience & connection to our ancestors.

What can we do to restore them?

If you’re looking to help out our pollinator friends this season you deserve a big thank you, really. We need more people like you!

One of the best ways to give back to these species is to plant a garden creating a nice habitat. The habitat for each species is going to have its differences and things to be aware of. As long as you are sure to do your research on how to best go about making a habitat, you should be successful.

• Eliminate pesticide use (there are organic ways of farming/gardening)

• Plant region-specific nectar plants (know exactly what you need)

• Create & protect nesting sites

• Awareness and advocation for pollinator friendly policies

What to plant (Native only)

Western Bumble Bee:

• Lupines

• Penstemons

• Goldenrods

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee:

• Wild bergamot

• Prairie clover

• Asters

Monarch Butterfly:

Milkweed is a must for monarchs. It’s where the caterpillar is born and is the only food they will eat — it’s also responsible for turning these guys into toxic snacks for predators.

Nectar plants as well.

• Milkweed

• Nectar flowers

*Be sure you’re planting what is native to your area so it will provide the monarchs and Bumble bees with the most benefit.

Some things to keep in mind:

• Keep it native! Native plants thrive harder and need less.

• Know what to plant — Make sure what your planting attracts what you’re trying to help.

• Know when to plant. Not too early, not too late.

• Keep it organic. See our blog post on the future of a sustainable farming medium to learn more. A lot more.

• Make it easy on yourself. Keep it organic.

• Learn more about making a monarch habitat in our blog here.

• Plan with the future in mind. Will your plants come back next year? How’s much work will this require?

• Have fun and learn something new!

How does the future look?

It goes one of two ways, really. We the people either step up and step in or we let some of our biggest pollinator species wither into the ethers. If we ignore what is at hand now, when it happens again we’ll continue to do the same thing with the next species. I believe the latter will not happen. I believe humanity is now at a point where the masses are onboard with a healthy New Earth and have jumped ship from our burning Old Earth patterns & ways. What that means to me is the people will step in, the old practices will transmute and a sustainable future for all life will take place. The more we can get information like this out there to people alike and not alike, the more we push that threshold of a unity consciousness with our natural world to a level of no return.

It is knowledge and action that will bring us into the future waiting for us and it is a genuine willingness & passion for our future that will encourage that action.

Thank you for reading!