Three rare species of bumble bees have been found recently in Guelph through an online bee count called the Bumble Bee Watch.

The yellow-banded bumble bee is an at-risk species in the province, while the yellow bumble bee and American bumble bee are on the decline.

"I was a bit surprised, especially to find so many observations in southern Ontario," said Victoria MacPhail, an ecologist and pollination biologist with Wildlife Perseveration Canada. "In southern Ontario, it's much more rare or uncommon than other parts and to actually find some – actually one within a kilometer of my house – was really neat to see."

'Oh, here's a cool bumble bee'

The Bumble Bee Watch is a website where people can upload photos of bumble bees they have spotted throughout Canada. It helps researchers determine where certain bees are located, as well as track down endangered species of bees.

Some of these bees, such as the rusty patch species, haven't been seen in the area since 2009, despite being one of the most common species 20 years ago.

MacPhail said while there haven't been local sightings of the rusty patch, researchers are seeing them pop up in photos submitted from parts of the United States.

"Random people, literally in their backyards, are finding this rare bee," MacPhail said. "They think, 'Oh, here's a cool bumble bee. Let's take a picture and send it to the website,' and we go, 'Oh my goodness! It's a rusty-patch bumble bee.'"

Bumble bees are big pollinators

It is important to understand what is happening with bees, and to do that, they need to know where they are, she said.

"If the fourth most common one can disappear right under our noses within a couple of decades, what's happening to our other species," she said.

MacPhail said it's important to learn about these bees because they're huge pollinators and very important for the ecosystem and bio-diversity.

She said people can look for bees wherever they are, whether that's in a park or in their backyard, and there's no special camera or training needed to capture a photo of the bees.

"Whatever you have that can take a photo and submit it to the website, we'll take your photo. So it's pretty easy," she said.

The official bee count runs until August 15, but MacPhail said photos of bumble bees or reports of potential nesting areas are always welcome.