Like honey bees, fruit farmers depend on bumble bees to pollinate their crops. Unlike honey bees, that shy away from working in cool climates, bumble bees even will be out pollinating in wind and rain. They need flowers constantly available to supply nectar and pollen, because they don't store food in hives the way honey bees do. Cranberry blossoms feed bumble bees that pollinate cranberry crops in the middle of summer, for example, but the queen also needs food in spring, when she lays eggs, and in late summer to get her through the winter. Backyard gardeners can help farmers by planting wildflowers that grow in as many seasons as possible.
To avoid using seeds and plants treated with bee-killing insecticides, gardeners are urged to shop at nurseries or to find plants from organic sources, since efforts to require pesticide and insecticide labeling have been unsuccessful. Seeing an endangered rusty patched bumble bee on a flower is cause to take a photo and report your sighting to bumblebeewatch.org. The site provides much more information about bumble bees and where rare ones have been photographed.
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