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Where do North America's bumble bees like to nest? It's surprising that there is no current research describing nesting locations. Original descriptions of some of the bumble bees of the U.S. and Canada describe nesting sites, but these data are often poorly replicated and around 70 years old.
Conserving habitat that is favorable for bumble bee nests is key for conservation efforts. In an attempt to learn more about current nest preferences, I am conducting an online survey of bumble bee nest sites in North America. To maximize my survey's visibility to the public I contacted over 340 botanical gardens, natural history museums, and nature centers in Canada and every state in the continental U.S., and asked if they would post a link to my survey on their websites. I am still getting replies, but the overall tone has been very positive.
If you find a bumble bee nest this year, please fill out my survey online. The introduction to the survey includes information about what to look for, how to behave near a nest, and where to go for help with identification. Below are links to a few of the locations that have posted my survey so far:
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Pollinator Partnership
Georgia Museum of Natural History
(hit your browser's refresh button until it appears.)
For nest-specific information and survey-related questions, please contact me at this email address: nestsurvey@yahoo.com.
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This photo courtesy of Scott Nacko
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All photos copyright Athena Rayne Anderson 2009
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