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A lot of people are scared of bumblebees and being stung by one probably tops the list of reasons why. But, Toby, a three-year-old Springer spaniel sniffer dog in England isn't scared of the buzzing insects. In fact, he spends most of his days sniffing out their nests for his handler Steph O'Connor.Toby's sensitive nose is very important and helpful as it is often hard to find bumblebee nests because they can be quite small and are sometimes hidden underground or in the middle of thick vegetation.
With Toby's help, The Bumblebee Conservation Trust can find the nests for research purposes. This allows the organization to estimate the sizes of local bee populations and learn more about their habits and other important ecological facts.
When Toby discovers a nest, it is fitted out with monitoring cameras so the Trust can follow the bees and learn important information about the insects' nest predation andsurvivorship. They also hope to learn where each different species of bumblebees like to nest.
The work is essential because some species of bumblebees are endangered and are in trouble of eventually disappearing. Bumblebees are important to the ecology as they pollinate many types of crops, fruit trees and wildflowers.
Toby has done such a good job recently that he and Steph have even been featured on their own UK TV show, and have made celebrity appearances at talk shows around England.
The English Springer Spaniel has long been used as a hunting dog thanks to their keen sense of smell, high intelligence and strong loyalty. Although this may be the first time the breed has been used to hunt bees!
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