Roadside Survey Overview
Roadside surveys are the second type of formal survey. They are a great way for most anyone to participate, as they often do not require walking long distances or over uneven terrain. A roadside survey consists of 5 individual stops along a 10-mile stretch of road, spaced at least 1/2 mile apart. At each of the five stops, you will conduct one 15-minute bumble bee survey and complete one habitat assessment form. Roadside surveys can be conducted while in route to or from a point survey site, or on their own, but should take place within your grid cell. Be sure to follow posted signs and regulations; please respect private property and if necessary obtain permission from the land owner.
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.
Safety vests or bright colors are highly recommended for roadside surveys.
Roadside surveys are the second type of formal survey. They are a great way for most anyone to participate, as they often do not require walking long distances or over uneven terrain. A roadside survey consists of 5 individual stops along a 10-mile stretch of road, spaced at least 1/2 mile apart. At each of the five stops, you will conduct one 15-minute bumble bee survey and complete one habitat assessment form. Roadside surveys can be conducted while in route to or from a point survey site, or on their own, but should take place within your grid cell. Be sure to follow posted signs and regulations; please respect private property and if necessary obtain permission from the land owner.
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.
Safety vests or bright colors are highly recommended for roadside surveys.
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 Roadside Survey
Step 1: Plan Your Route
Select a stretch of road that is at least 10 miles long. To find a route, we suggest using the Google Map that displays the Atlas grid so you can save locations, create start and end points, and get directions.
Step 2: Begin Your Survey
At the start of your selected route, pull over at the first patch of available flowers that you observe. Please park carefully, follow local regulations and be aware of any safety precautions. Before filling out the bumble bee data sheet, simply start by watching the flower patch—if you observe bee activity, begin the survey. If there is no bee activity, proceed to the next patch of flowers and repeat.
Before starting your timer, fill out the top of the bumble bee data sheet (name, date, location, time, weather, etc…) and then start your 15-minute timer. While looking for bumble bees, you should wander from flower patch to flower patch along the roadside area. 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.
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
At each of your five stops, conduct one habitat assessment so you end with five assessments at the end of your route. 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: Repeat
Drive at least 1/2 mile down the road, find another patch of flowering plants, and conduct another survey starting at Step 2. At the end of your route, you will have conducted five bumble bee surveys and five habitat assessments (one per stop).
Step 6: 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
At the end of your route, you will have conducted five bumble bee surveys and five habitat assessments (one per stop) to enter into Bumble Bee Watch. Try to do submit within one month of completing your survey.
Step 1: Plan Your Route
Select a stretch of road that is at least 10 miles long. To find a route, we suggest using the Google Map that displays the Atlas grid so you can save locations, create start and end points, and get directions.
Step 2: Begin Your Survey
At the start of your selected route, pull over at the first patch of available flowers that you observe. Please park carefully, follow local regulations and be aware of any safety precautions. Before filling out the bumble bee data sheet, simply start by watching the flower patch—if you observe bee activity, begin the survey. If there is no bee activity, proceed to the next patch of flowers and repeat.
Before starting your timer, fill out the top of the bumble bee data sheet (name, date, location, time, weather, etc…) and then start your 15-minute timer. While looking for bumble bees, you should wander from flower patch to flower patch along the roadside area. 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.
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
At each of your five stops, conduct one habitat assessment so you end with five assessments at the end of your route. 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: Repeat
Drive at least 1/2 mile down the road, find another patch of flowering plants, and conduct another survey starting at Step 2. At the end of your route, you will have conducted five bumble bee surveys and five habitat assessments (one per stop).
Step 6: 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
At the end of your route, you will have conducted five bumble bee surveys and five habitat assessments (one per stop) to enter into Bumble Bee Watch. Try to do submit within one month of completing your survey.
