Large Number Of Bees Dead After Abandonment In Shrewsbury: Report

SHREWSBURY, MA — Potentially millions of bees died recently after they were left sitting inside a UPS truck in Shrewsbury for weeks, according to a CBS report.

The bees were en route to a destination in New England when they were held in Shrewsbury due to a problem with their packaging, according to CBS Boston. The bees were left inside the truck without adequate food, a beekeeper told the station.

The bees were shipped from a distributor in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., according to the station.

The report did not indicate what type of bees were on the truck. There are close to 4,000 species of bees living in North America in addition to honey bees, and all play some role in the pollination of flowers and plants that provide food.

Some bee species have declined sharply in recent years. In 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the rusty patched bumblebee, which is native to the Midwest, as endangered. A number of factors have led to their decline, including climate change, loss of habitat, disease and pesticides.

More than a dozen types of bees live in Massachusetts, from native species like the sweat bee to the imported European honeybee.