MSU’s Newest Researcher Has Four Legs, a Wet Nose, And a Talent for Saving Bees Read More: Retired Police Dog Now Helps Save Honeybees at MSU

MSU’s Newest Researcher Has Four Legs, a Wet Nose, And a Talent for Saving Bees Read More: Retired Police Dog Now Helps Save Honeybees at MSU






MSU’s Newest Researcher Has Four Legs, a Wet Nose, And a Talent for Saving Bees
Laura Hardy
Laura HardyPublished: July 30, 2025Laura Hardy / Canva


Michigan State University (MSU) has welcomed an unexpected but adorable addition to its research team: Maple, a retired police K-9 who’s now using her nose to help protect Michigan honeybee colonies.


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Maple is part of the team at MSU’s Pollinator Performance Center, where researchers are focused on improving pollinator health and supporting the beekeeping industry.

How does Maple the dog help researchers at MSU?

The Pollinator Performance Center, which launched in 2021, is home to several research initiatives like this one. Their goal is to keep pollinators like honeybees healthy and thriving, so they can continue their critical role in agriculture and the environment.

Maple's job? Sniffing out harmful bacteria in hives before it spreads.

Beekeepers typically have to manually inspect colonies for signs of disease like American foulbrood, and at that it's a tedious and sometimes too-late process.

But Maple’s super-powered sense of smell allows her to detect bacterial threats much faster, potentially saving entire colonies from collapse. She’s trained to identify the scent of infected brood, alerting handlers so the hive can be treated or removed quicker than ever. Talk about a useful nose!



Maple is part of the team at MSU’s Pollinator Performance Center doing critical pollinator research and education. A...Posted by Michigan State University on Tuesday, July 29, 2025

It’s Maple's unique use of scent detection skills that could change how beekeepers monitor hive health. Not just in Michigan, but across the country as well. She might be one of the keys to helping save our honeybee population.

Maple may be retired from her police K-9 duties, but she’s still making a difference, one sniff at a time.



All of the Giant Pollinators You'll Meet This Year At The John Ball Zoo
Giant bugs have taken over the John Ball Zoo for their Power of Pollinators exhibit until November 2025. Here are all of the ones you'll run into while you're taking a stroll around the zoo this season.

Gallery Credit: Laura Hardy

American Hoverfly


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American Hoverfly
While this pollinator looks like a bee, it only has two wings instead of four.

Violet Carpenter Bee


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Violet Carpenter Bee
These are the 'lone wolves' of bees, because they have no hive nor do they have a queen.

American Pelecinid Wasp


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American Pelecinid Wasp
These guys may look scary, but they're actually harmless to humans

Common Long-Horned Bee


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Common Long-Horned Bee
This adorable 'fuzzball' gets it's name from it's extra long 'horns'.

Rosy Maple Moth


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Rosy Maple Moth
This moth has no mouth or digestive system. It just exists to create it's next generation. (Crazy, right)

Green Lacewing


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Green Lacewing
Mostly found in the south, these insects communicate by vibrating their abdomen.

Red-Banded Leafhopper


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Red-Banded Leafhopper
This little bouncy bug spreads pollen while eating from flowers, and sometimes also accidentally spreads plant disease in the process.

Cecropia Moth Caterpillar


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Cecropia Moth Caterpillar
Don't let it's spikes fool you, this caterpillar is defenseless.

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee


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Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
These bees are critically endangered as of 2017, so please be kind if you see one.

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth


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Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
It's a bird, it's a plane... it's a moth? Yep, it's a moth that flies 25 to 35 mph, so don't confuse it with it's namesake if you see one.

Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp


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Blue-Winged Scoliid Wasp
These wasps lay their eggs inside of beetles underground

Ruby-throated Hummingbird


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Ruby-throated Hummingbird
This pollinator is proof that they're not all bugs, sometimes birds are helping spread the magic of pollination too.

Goldenrod Crab Spider


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Goldenrod Crab Spider
Warning: this is a BIG spider, if they give you the creeps you may want to stand back. However, this spider is considered an 'accidental' pollinator because they do so while hunting.

Pure Green Sweat Bee


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Pure Green Sweat Bee
They got their name from sometimes being spotted sipping sweat off of people.

Blue Mud Wasp


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Blue Mud Wasp
These wasps are known for stealing other bugs nests instead of building their own.

Karner Blue Butterfly


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Karner Blue Butterfly
This tiny blue butterfly was one of my favorites to spot, hanging out near the butterfly house at the John Ball Zoo

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle


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Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
This Michigan pollinator shouldn't be squished if you find one, because it has a stinky defense you don't want to encounter.

Monarch Butterfly


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Monarch Butterfly
Michigan's most popular pollinator will travel up to 1,400 each year to mate.

Poweshiek Skipperling


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Poweshiek Skipperling
This butterfly has a very short lifespan each year, and is becoming to rare that Scientists are worried it may disappear forever.

Glorious Scarab Beetle


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Glorious Scarab Beetle
While not a purposeful pollinator, this beetle helps out while wandering around in flowers.

Milkweed Leaf Beetle


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Milkweed Leaf Beetle
While this may look like a giant ladybug, they're actually not related.



Your Complete Guide to Michigan's 9 Squirrel Species
If you're wondering what species of squirrel is raiding your bird feeder or you just want to know which species you're seeing on campus, here's a look at the nine different species you'll find in Michigan, with a little help from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

An Eastern Gray Squirrel sits on three paws, with the fourth up, tail curled, looking like its ready to run at any moment.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 1. Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Silver-gray fur, white belly, and bushy white-tipped tail. Common in Michigan forests, suburbs, and college campuses. Builds leafy dreys or uses tree cavities. Active during the day—especially near your bird feeder.

An Eastern Fox Squirrel is seen on the grass, with both hands to its mouth.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 2. Eastern Fox Squirrel
Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
Larger than gray squirrels with a rusty-yellow belly and gray-brown back. Found in open woods, farms, and shaded neighborhoods. Active year-round by day, caching acorns like it’s a full-time job.

An American Red Squirrel is seen holding an acorn.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 3. American Red Squirrel
American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
Small, fiery red fur with a white belly and loud attitude. Dominates coniferous forests across Michigan. Diurnal and fiercely territorial, especially around their secret pinecone stashes called "middens."

A Northern Flying Squirrel is seen soaring through the air with a nut in its mouth.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 4. Northern Flying Squirrel
Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Gray-brown fur, huge eyes, and a skin “cape” for gliding. Lives in mature, northern forests—rarely seen due to nocturnal habits. Glides over 100 feet at night in search of mushrooms and moss.

A tiny Southern Flying Squirrel blends into the bark of a tree.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 5. Southern Flying Squirrel
Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Tiny, silky gray-brown fur and bug-eyed adorable. Lives in mature deciduous forests in southern Michigan. Nocturnal, ultra-social, and glides between trees after dark—often crashing your bird feeder.

An Eastern Chipmunk is seen with its mouth full of nuts.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 6. Eastern Chipmunk
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Yes. Chipmunks are technically squirrels. Striped-back, reddish sides and cheek pouches that could smuggle a buffet. Prefers ground life in wooded areas and backyards. Daytime hustler, burrowing tunnels, and stuffing seeds like a tiny prepper.

A tiny Least Chipmunk is seen eating while on a branch.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 7. Least Chipmunk
Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)
Tiny, fast, and stripey. Buff-brown with black and gray side stripes and a tail it carries upright. Found in Michigan’s northern forests. Active by day, it enters winter torpor (not full hibernation). Feeds on seeds, fruit, and bugs—stuffing its cheeks like a furry hoarder on a mission.

A woodchuck holds onto its food with both hands.


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 8. Woodchuck
Woodchuck / Groundhog (Marmota monax)
Surprise! Groundhogs / Woodchucks are just huge squirrels. Chunky, brown-gray body with stubby tail. Michigan’s heavyweight squirrel, living in complex burrows in fields, gardens, and roadside ditches. Most active during the day, but hibernates hard through winter—no shadow drama needed.

Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 9. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel


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Discover Michigan’s Diverse 9 Squirrel Species: Complete Guide - 9. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)
Slender body with 13 dark/light stripes and spots. Lives in grassy, open areas of western/northern Michigan. Active during sunny days, hibernates in winter. Nervous energy in a stripey package.