California's Endangered Bumble Bees: What the CESA Listing Means for Sacramento Property Owners

This guide explains what that means for Sacramento property owners, which bumble bees are covered, and what to do if you see one. It draws on public information from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Defenders of Wildlife, and the published Court of Appeal decision in Almond Alliance v. Fish and Game Commission (2022). It is general information, not legal advice. As of our last check in November 2026, we did not find a final listing decision, so check CDFW for current status.

TL;DR — What Changed for California Bumble Bees

• Conservation groups petitioned to list four California bumble bees under CESA, and in 2019 the Fish and Game Commission made them candidates.
• Agriculture groups sued, arguing CESA's protection for "fish" did not extend to terrestrial invertebrates like bumble bees.
• In May 2022, California's Third District Court of Appeal ruled that bumble bees qualify as "fish" under the statute's broad invertebrate definition (Fish & Game Code § 45) and are therefore eligible for CESA protection.
• In September 2022 the California Supreme Court denied review, making the appellate ruling final and enforceable statewide.
• Candidate species: Bombus occidentalis (western), Bombus crotchii (Crotch's), Bombus franklini (Franklin's), and Bombus suckleyi (Suckley's cuckoo).
• Fish & Game Code section 2080 prohibits take, possession, purchase, or sale of protected species without authorization.

How a Bumble Bee Became a Fish in California Law

The legal path to protection is genuinely strange and worth understanding, because it determines what the law actually covers. The California Endangered Species Act, passed in 1970 and amended in 1984, protects "native species or subspecies of a bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant." Notably absent: insects. For decades, that wording was interpreted to mean CESA could not protect terrestrial invertebrates.

The opening was Section 45 of the Fish and Game Code, which defines "fish" as "a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian, or part, spawn, or ovum of any of those animals." Conservation groups argued that this expansive statutory definition controlled — that bumble bees, as invertebrates, fit within the "fish" definition the legislature wrote, even if biologically they are nothing of the kind. The Fish and Game Commission accepted that reading and granted candidate status to all four species.

Agricultural plaintiffs sued. A Sacramento County Superior Court initially agreed with them. But on May 31, 2022, in Almond Alliance of California v. Fish and Game Commission, the Third District Court of Appeal reversed, holding that "the Commission has the authority to list any invertebrate as an endangered, threatened, or candidate species under the Act." In September 2022, the California Supreme Court denied review. That left the four candidates protected, however unusual the legal framing.

For a property owner, the point is simple: a pest control job that kills a candidate species can be a legal problem as well as a conservation one. For questions about enforcement or penalties, ask CDFW or an attorney.

The Four Candidate California Bumble Bees

Here is what each species looks like and where it has been found. Check CDFW or Bumble Bee Watch for current range information.

Western Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis)

The western bumble bee was once common on the West Coast, and it has declined sharply across much of its range. ID: look for a yellow front of the thorax and a white tail.

If you photograph a white-tailed bumble bee in Sacramento County, submit it to Bumble Bee Watch, a community-science platform.

Crotch's Bumble Bee (Bombus crotchii)

Crotch's bumble bee has lost much of its former range in California. ID: a mostly black bumble bee with a yellow band on the thorax and yellow on the abdomen. The face is black, which helps separate it from the much more common yellow-faced bumble bee.

If you suspect you have seen a Crotch's bumble bee, our yellow-faced bumble bee identification guide walks through how to rule out the most common Sacramento lookalike.

Franklin's Bumble Bee (Bombus franklini)

Franklin's bumble bee had a very small known range in southern Oregon and far northern California. It has not been seen in years, and it was federally listed as endangered in 2021. It is not a species Sacramento residents should expect to see.

Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus suckleyi)

This bee is a social parasite that lays eggs in the nests of other bumble bees. ID is difficult and best left to specialists. Cuckoo bumble bees lack the pollen baskets (corbiculae) that other bumble bees use to carry pollen.

What "Take" Means for Sacramento Property Owners

California Fish & Game Code section 86 defines "take" as "hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill." Section 2080 prohibits take, possession, purchase, or sale of protected species, except as allowed by law. Section 2085 extends those protections to candidate species.

On a Sacramento property, that means spraying or destroying a nest of a candidate bumble bee could be a legal problem. If you are unsure what you have, don't treat it. For a specific situation, ask CDFW.

Pesticides, Neonicotinoids, and CESA Compliance

Pesticides are a common concern for bumble bees. Neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran are systemic insecticides that plants absorb into their tissues, including pollen and nectar.

California's AB 363 limits non-agricultural outdoor use of these products on ornamental plants, trees, and turf to licensed dealers and certified applicators. The cleaner path is to skip them entirely on bee-attractive plants. Our Sacramento neonicotinoids guide covers product identification and safer alternatives.

What Sacramento Property Owners Should Do Instead

• Read pesticide labels for active ingredients before purchase — "bee-friendly" claims on the front of the box are not regulated; the active ingredient on the back is what matters.
• Avoid systemic insecticides on any flowering plant. If a plant is blooming, anything you put in the soil ends up in the pollen.
• Spot-treat pest issues mechanically (hand removal, water spray, row cover) before reaching for chemistry.
• If a pest control operator works on your property, ask in writing what products they use and whether they check for bees first.
• For honey bee colonies on the property: call us about free live bee removal, not an exterminator. For a suspected candidate bumble bee, contact CDFW.

Habitat: What Property Owners Can Legally — and Helpfully — Do

CESA does not require homeowners to create bumble bee habitat. But habitat is one of the most useful things a private property owner can offer, along with avoiding pesticides.

Plant Bumble Bee Forage That Bridges the Whole Season

Bumble bees need flowers through their whole active season. Plants to consider include manzanita, California lilac (Ceanothus), white sage, California buckwheat, blue elderberry, narrowleaf milkweed, common yarrow, gumplant, vinegarweed, and California fuchsia. Our guide to why bees matter for California's food supply goes deeper on the agricultural side; for backyard plant selection, ten native species selected for staggered bloom is more useful than 30 generic "pollinator" plants.

Protect Nest Sites You Probably Already Have

Bumble bees often nest underground, typically in abandoned rodent burrows, and may also use dense thatch, leaf litter, and hollow logs. Mowing, tilling, or clearing a brush pile can disturb a colony. Practical actions: leave a corner of the yard unmown, keep leaf litter under shrubs, avoid tilling untouched ground in spring, and pause landscape work if you see bumble bee activity in one spot.

Distinguish Native Bumble Bees from Honey Bees

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are non-native, managed insects, and they are not among the four candidates. The distinction matters because a honey bee swarm is handled differently from a bumble bee nest. Our honey bees vs. native bees guide covers the visual differences in detail; the short version is that bumble bees are larger, fuzzier, slower, and visit one flower at a time, while honey bees are smaller, less hairy, and forage in fast-moving groups.

What to Do If You See a Suspected Listed Bumble Bee

If you spot a bumble bee that might be one of the four candidate species, the right response is documentation, not action.

• Photograph from above and from the side, focused on the abdomen color pattern and the face — these are the diagnostic features.
• Note the date, time, GPS location (a phone screenshot of the map satisfies this), and the plant the bee was visiting.
• Submit to Bumble Bee Watch.
• Do not collect, capture, handle, or trap the bee.
• If the bee is in a conflict situation, such as in a wall or a heavily used pathway, contact CDFW before any action. If you're unsure what it is, tell us what you are seeing and we'll help you figure out what you have.

Our Sacramento citizen science guide walks through Bumble Bee Watch and iNaturalist setup step by step.

What This Means for Sacramento Real Estate, Construction, and Landscaping

The protections also matter for commercial pesticide applicators, landscape contractors, builders, and agricultural operators. If a project could affect candidate bumble bees, talk to CDFW early. CDFW has published non-regulatory guidance on conserving these species.

Practical Steps for Trades and Property Managers

• Before major ground disturbance on undeveloped land, ask CDFW whether a survey is advisable.
• Train pest control technicians to recognize bumble bees before spray jobs.
• If a candidate species is encountered during a project, stop work in the immediate area and contact CDFW.

What the Protection Does Not Do

Legal protection does not grow more bumble bees by itself. That work happens in backyards, schoolyards, parks, and the agricultural margins of the Sacramento Valley.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are bumble bees endangered in California?

Four California bumble bee species are candidates for listing under the California Endangered Species Act: the western bumble bee, Crotch's bumble bee, Franklin's bumble bee, and Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee. CDFW says candidates have the same legal protection as endangered or threatened species. Other California bumble bees, including the common yellow-faced bumble bee, are not candidates.

What bumble bees are protected in California?

The four candidate species are Bombus occidentalis (western), Bombus crotchii (Crotch's), Bombus franklini (Franklin's), and Bombus suckleyi (Suckley's cuckoo). Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are non-native managed insects and are not among them.

Is it illegal to kill bumble bees in California?

Fish and Game Code section 2080 prohibits take, possession, purchase, or sale of protected species without authorization, and candidates get the same protection. Section 86 defines take as hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to do so. The safest practice is to leave any bumble bee alone. For a specific situation, contact CDFW.

What does CESA listing mean for homeowners?

It means you should not kill or capture any of the four candidate species on your property. You are not required to create habitat. The simplest approach is to leave bumble bees alone, avoid systemic pesticides, and contact CDFW if you think a candidate species is involved in a conflict. Tell us what you are seeing if you are not sure what you have and we'll help you figure out what it is.

How do I report a Crotch's bumble bee sighting in Sacramento?

Photograph the bee from above and from the side, capturing the face and abdominal pattern. Submit the photos with date, time, and location to Bumble Bee Watch (bumblebeewatch.org). Do not collect or handle the bee.

Can I get an incidental take permit for bumble bees?

Fish and Game Code section 2081 is the permit provision. For a project, talk to CDFW. Permits are not the usual answer to a backyard bee conflict.

Why This Matters in Sacramento

Recovery, if it happens, runs through residential yards, school gardens, agricultural margins, and protected lands. Gifts to The Bee Conservatory can support rescue, habitat, and education in the Greater Sacramento region.

California's candidate bumble bees are not a distant problem. Recovery happens slowly, in the places where ordinary property owners decide what to plant, what to spray, and what to leave alone.