Mainers Acting as Citizen Scientists for Bee Study [VIDEO]

If you see someone with a butterfly net, don't laugh. They just might be Citizen Scientists, taking part in a very important study of Bumblebees. Those fuzzy little insects are much more important to our state's economy than you might think!

I admire people who can be fearless around insects that sting. Personally, I'm never at ease around them. When I was a kid, I'd flip out - flapping arms, kicking legs, and screaming. Seriously. It wasn't pretty. When I became a parent, I had to train myself to keep my cool while killing the stray wasp or hornet that had wandered into the house. But inside, I'm still that scared little girl who's shaking in her shoes!

But, despite my own issues with bees, they do serve a purpose, especially bumblebees. Their pollination efforts are crucial to the success of several important Maine crops, including blueberries and cranberries.

There are 17 documented species of bumblebee in Maine, but experts are noticing a declining number of them. So the 'Maine Bumblebee Atlas' project is looking to work as a kind of 'bee census.'Volunteers have been trained on how to collect the bees and make observations on their habitats. Check out the video to see how easily they capture the bees. It's cool!