Five year study examines health of bees in East Texas

The American bumblebee population is alive and well in East Texas, according to early indications from a five-year research project.

The project, which started in 2022, is a collaboration between Stephen F. Austin State University, Sam Houston State University and Texas A&M Forest Service to assess the health of bee communities in 74 East Texas counties. The survey is funded through a $500,000 state grant.

Dan Bennett, an associate professor of biology at Stephen F. Austin State University, said the results from samples collected in the study’s first year are positive.