> What is odd is that only certain species of bumble
> bee seem to be in decline while others are thriving

> Yes and and some bumble bee species continue to be
> abundant in Poncho (clothianidin) country

Right, the study does not implicate crop protection products but suggests a role for Nosema bombi. Probably the populations have fallen below critical numbers.

> James Cane, an entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Logan, Utah, who was not involved in the research, calls the new study rigorous and objective. "I'm impressed by it," he says. "This confirms the reality of the decline." The next step, he adds, is to nail down the cause and whether anything can be done to halt the declines.

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