Point Survey Overview
Point surveys are our standard surveys that take place within your adopted grid cell, and will provide high quality bumble bee data from any survey area. These surveys are 45 person minutes, meaning the survey must collectively run for a total of 45 minutes and will vary with the number of people involved in your survey. For example, if you are surveying alone you must sample for 45 minutes, if there are 2 people surveying you only need to sample for 22.5 minutes, if 3 people you’ll sample for 15 minutes and so on. Point surveys must take place in an area that is approximately 1 hectare (2.5 acres).
Survey Conditions: Select any day during June, July, August or September where the temperature is between 60°F and 90°F, winds are <15mph, and it is not raining.
Survey Conditions: Select any day during June, July, August or September where the temperature is between 60°F and 90°F, winds are <15mph, and it is not raining.
Plan your visit
Take some time to investigate the grid cell that you adopted. We suggest you start with the project map, or Google Maps (or similar) with aerial photography to flag potential sites and plan travel routes. Getting familiar with your sites using maps will also help you when it comes time to submit your data; accurate locations are important! Many areas in the state are rather rural, with limited travel routes and cellular service. When surveying, please follow all rules, regulations and posted signs; respect private property and take all necessary safety precautions.
It is possible that when you arrive at a pre-selected site, you’ll find that survey conditions for bumble bees may not be optimal. We encourage folks to be flexible, and opportunistic, but to stay within their assigned grid cell. As such, bring resources with you to navigate, including printed maps, as cell service is not available in many parts of Nebraska.
Resources to help you plan your trip (note: we do not guarantee the veracity of any of these resources, we simply provide them as tools to help plan your trip. To our knowledge, these are some of the best and most reliable mapping resources available, though alternatives certainly exist):
*You may not capture bumble bees in the following locations without a permit, please only take photographs to submit as incidental observations if you visit one of these areas.
Take some time to investigate the grid cell that you adopted. We suggest you start with the project map, or Google Maps (or similar) with aerial photography to flag potential sites and plan travel routes. Getting familiar with your sites using maps will also help you when it comes time to submit your data; accurate locations are important! Many areas in the state are rather rural, with limited travel routes and cellular service. When surveying, please follow all rules, regulations and posted signs; respect private property and take all necessary safety precautions.
It is possible that when you arrive at a pre-selected site, you’ll find that survey conditions for bumble bees may not be optimal. We encourage folks to be flexible, and opportunistic, but to stay within their assigned grid cell. As such, bring resources with you to navigate, including printed maps, as cell service is not available in many parts of Nebraska.
Resources to help you plan your trip (note: we do not guarantee the veracity of any of these resources, we simply provide them as tools to help plan your trip. To our knowledge, these are some of the best and most reliable mapping resources available, though alternatives certainly exist):
- Google Maps with Overlaid Grid (you will be able to find the grid number of your adopted cell to help you plan a trip)
- Nebraska Public Access Atlas
- Avenza Maps app (download Motor Vehicle Use Map – “MVUM”)
- Nebraska Trail System
- USGS Topo Maps – available from many outdoor retailers and as downloads
- Public land or public right-of-ways (roadsides)
- Your own acreage
- Friend or relative’s acreage to which you have explicit permission to survey
- US Forest Service lands – download Avenza Maps app to access the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) to stay on legal roads, you are free to walk anywhere. 4WD is needed for most USFS roads. USFS include Halsey National Forest; McKelvie (Samuel R.) National Forest; Nebraska National Forest; Oglala National Grasslands; Pine Ridge National Recreation Area.
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission lands – requires a permit. Please reach out to Katie.lamke@xerces.org if you wish to conduct surveys on NGPC land (State Parks; State Recreation Areas; State Historical Parks; Wildlife Management Areas).
*You may not capture bumble bees in the following locations without a permit, please only take photographs to submit as incidental observations if you visit one of these areas.
- National Monuments – Agate Fossil Beds; Scottsbluff National Monument
- National Wildlife Refuges – Boyer-Chute NWR; Crescent Lake NWR; Fort Niobrara NWR; North Platte NWR; Valentine NWR
- Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs)
Conducting a Point Survey
Step 1 : Fill Out Bumble Bee Data Sheet
Before you begin looking for bumble bees, fill out the top of the data sheet. This will include date, time, surveyors, location, and basic weather information (approximate temperature, cloud cover, wind, etc.).
Step 2: Begin Your Bumble Bee Survey
Record the start time of your survey, start the timer and begin searching for bumble bees. While looking for bumble bees you should wander through the entire survey area, focusing on plants that are flowering. Focus on ALL flowering plants, not just those that are most abundant or showy—different bumble bees are sometimes attracted to different flowers. When you find a bumble bee, capture it in a vial (either directly or using an insect net), note the plant species that it was visiting, and place the vial in a chilled cooler. Be sure to keep bees from different flowers also separated in the cooler so you remember later. Take a picture of each plant, including its flowers and leaves, for later confirmation or identification. The smartphone app iNaturalist is a great identification resource for wildflowers and has the capability to save photos and locations of all your observations.
Continue in this fashion for 45 person minutes (count only time searching for bumble bees) or until you have run out of vials. If you run out of vials, stop the timer and continue to Step 3. Once Step 3 is complete and your vials are free again, return to Step 2 and finish out the time remaining on your survey. When finished, record the end time of your survey.
Step 3: Collect Bumble Bee Data
After bees are cooled for several minutes (5-10min), their movement will be slow enough that you can easily photograph them. To photograph the bee, start by placing it on a flat surface with high contrast, such as the back of a data sheet, on a clipboard or cooler lid (see photo at left). To take clear, in-focus photographs of each bee we recommend using a camera with a macro lens setting (look for a flower icon) or a smartphone, see the supplies list for more on cameras. See the back of the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas Identification Guide for a checklist of features that need to be shown in your photographs. To take clear, in-focus photographs of each bee we recommend using a camera with a macro lens setting (look for a flower icon) or a smartphone, see tips here. A maximum of 5 photos per bee may be uploaded. Be sure to document how many photos you take of each bee, and note the file names on the data sheet.
If the bumble bee is sluggish after you photograph it, just place it in the shade and it’ll take flight after warming up. Continue in this fashion until you have documented each individual bumble bee.
IF YOU RECORD ZERO BUMBLE BEES, THIS IS STILL VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE BE SURE TO RECORD THIS INFORMATION AND SUBMIT IT TO US.
Step 4: Conduct a Habitat Assessment
This form provides us with a snapshot of the present habitat, and an idea of food and nesting resources available to bees in your survey area.
Step 5: Check for Completeness
Ensure that all data sheets are complete and that you have collected all necessary habitat information. While it might be tempting to leave some of this information for later, or when you get home, taking the time to do it while on site will reduce errors and increase the quality of the data you collect.
Phase 7: Submit Your Data
For each completed point survey, you will have one bumble bee survey data sheet and one habitat assessment form to enter into Bumble Bee Watch. Try to do submit within one month of completing your survey.
Step 1 : Fill Out Bumble Bee Data Sheet
Before you begin looking for bumble bees, fill out the top of the data sheet. This will include date, time, surveyors, location, and basic weather information (approximate temperature, cloud cover, wind, etc.).
Step 2: Begin Your Bumble Bee Survey
Record the start time of your survey, start the timer and begin searching for bumble bees. While looking for bumble bees you should wander through the entire survey area, focusing on plants that are flowering. Focus on ALL flowering plants, not just those that are most abundant or showy—different bumble bees are sometimes attracted to different flowers. When you find a bumble bee, capture it in a vial (either directly or using an insect net), note the plant species that it was visiting, and place the vial in a chilled cooler. Be sure to keep bees from different flowers also separated in the cooler so you remember later. Take a picture of each plant, including its flowers and leaves, for later confirmation or identification. The smartphone app iNaturalist is a great identification resource for wildflowers and has the capability to save photos and locations of all your observations.
Continue in this fashion for 45 person minutes (count only time searching for bumble bees) or until you have run out of vials. If you run out of vials, stop the timer and continue to Step 3. Once Step 3 is complete and your vials are free again, return to Step 2 and finish out the time remaining on your survey. When finished, record the end time of your survey.
Step 3: Collect Bumble Bee Data
After bees are cooled for several minutes (5-10min), their movement will be slow enough that you can easily photograph them. To photograph the bee, start by placing it on a flat surface with high contrast, such as the back of a data sheet, on a clipboard or cooler lid (see photo at left). To take clear, in-focus photographs of each bee we recommend using a camera with a macro lens setting (look for a flower icon) or a smartphone, see the supplies list for more on cameras. See the back of the Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas Identification Guide for a checklist of features that need to be shown in your photographs. To take clear, in-focus photographs of each bee we recommend using a camera with a macro lens setting (look for a flower icon) or a smartphone, see tips here. A maximum of 5 photos per bee may be uploaded. Be sure to document how many photos you take of each bee, and note the file names on the data sheet.
If the bumble bee is sluggish after you photograph it, just place it in the shade and it’ll take flight after warming up. Continue in this fashion until you have documented each individual bumble bee.
IF YOU RECORD ZERO BUMBLE BEES, THIS IS STILL VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE BE SURE TO RECORD THIS INFORMATION AND SUBMIT IT TO US.
Step 4: Conduct a Habitat Assessment
This form provides us with a snapshot of the present habitat, and an idea of food and nesting resources available to bees in your survey area.
Step 5: Check for Completeness
Ensure that all data sheets are complete and that you have collected all necessary habitat information. While it might be tempting to leave some of this information for later, or when you get home, taking the time to do it while on site will reduce errors and increase the quality of the data you collect.
Phase 7: Submit Your Data
For each completed point survey, you will have one bumble bee survey data sheet and one habitat assessment form to enter into Bumble Bee Watch. Try to do submit within one month of completing your survey.
