The Ohio Bee Survey: In Search of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

At least 19 species of bumble bees could once be found in Ohio, but only about 10 of them are now frequent. Some were never common here, but several once abundant species are now in steep declines. Indeed, two species are in danger of becoming extinct not only in our state, but globally. One of those species, the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, has not been seen in Ohio since 2002. Habitat loss, introduced parasites, and pesticide use are the most likely causes of these declines. Good habitat management can help them recover in some cases. In response to concerns about pollinator health, the Ohio Bee Survey was organized to bring together scientists, parks, and citizen scientists to evaluate the distribution and abundance of all of Ohio’s bees. Join the University of Akron’s Dr. Randy Mitchell to learn more about Ohio’s bumble bees, the Ohio Bee Survey, and what you can do to help some of our most important, charismatic, and vulnerable pollinators.

Dr. Randy Mitchell
Randy Mitchell is a professor of Biology at the University of Akron, and the Director of the University of Akron Field Station. Dr. Mitchell grew up loving science, the outdoors, backpacking, and insects. He has done research in many wonderful places, including Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, California’s deserts and mountains and scrub, the hills of Adelaide Australia, New Mexico’s mountains and deserts, Wisconsin’s wetlands, and the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley. Dr. Mitchell specializes in researching the ecology of plant-pollinator interactions.