Did you know that Minnesota has a state bee? Well, it does, and it’s the Rusty Patched bumble bee, which has been listed as an endangered species in the US since 2017. They can usually be distinguished by a small rusty reddish patch on the second segment on their abdomen, although interestingly, the queens do not have this patch.
These bumble bees used to live in prairies throughout much of the midwestern to northeastern US, collecting nectar and pollen from the flowers of many different plant species from April until September. Today, due to climate changes, farming practices, and especially habitat loss and destruction, they are found in far lower numbers in a more limited range. However, they can still be found in Northfield, and even rarely in our lovely Arboretum!
With some neat citizen science initiatives like Bumble Bee Watch, community members can report sightings of bees and help us all have a better idea of where Rusty Patched bumble bees live and thrive. There is only one reported sighting in the arb, on the upper side and across from the cemetery, but more have been seen near Central Park and across the river near Greenvale Park Elementary School. The presence of our fuzzy friends is even politically important, playing a role in city development of and conservation goals within Northfield.
All in all, this is a very special bumble bee that we have the pleasure of coexisting with in our community. Undisturbed and unmowed flowering gardens with native plants are good places to see these bumble bees, so keep your eyes open for them! If you think you see one, you can take photos and use tools like iNaturalist or Bumble Bee Watch to help identify and report it, but also revel in the fact that we live among such cool wildlife!
—Klara Gabriela Heuchert ‘22, for the Cole Student Naturalists
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