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Hi John,

Protecting an endangered species is particularly difficult if you can't find them.

The rusty patched bumblebee is now so elusive that dogs are being trained to sniff them out. These conservation canines are lending a helping paw to the bees.[1]

The rusty patched bumblebee is one of the rarest bee species. This endangered bumblebee was once common from Minnesota to Maine and as far south as Georgia. But its population has declined by nearly 90% since the 1990s.[2]

Because there are so few rusty patched bumblebees left, wildlife scientists needed help finding their nests. And that's where the dogs came in.

Using their exceptional sense of smell, dogs can help find well-hidden bumblebee burrows in a tangle of long grasses and wildflowers.

The labrador retrievers are on the case in Wisconsin, and though they have yet to find a rusty patched bumblebee nest, they've helped identify 18 other bumblebee nests so far.[3]

Once found, scientists can analyze the nests for clues about this endangered bee and better learn how to protect them.

With all hands (and paws) on deck, we can band together to save the rusty patched bumblebee from extinction.

What's next for endangered bees?

Environment Colorado helped win endangered species protections for the rusty patched bumblebee in 2017, and we're currently calling on the Fish & Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat to keep this special bee safe.

We're also supporting more protections for other pollinators like the American bumblebee, the Southern Plains bumblebee and the monarch butterfly.

And to help protect all pollinators, we're working to limit toxic pesticides and expand bee-friendly habitat. Colorado has already limited the consumer use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and now we're working to restrict neonic-coated seeds.

Let's continue to speak up for the little bees that can't advocate for themselves.

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

P.S. Want to do even more to help save the bees? Donate to help support our pollinator conservation efforts.
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1. Anne Readel, "The secret to finding one of the most endangered bumblebees in the US? Dogs," The Guardian, April 2, 2025.
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2. Steve Gorman, "U.S. lists first bumble bee species as endangered," Reuters, January 10, 2017.
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3. Anne Readel, "The secret to finding one of the most endangered bumblebees in the US? Dogs," The Guardian, April 2, 2025.
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