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 your adopted grid cell. The grid cells are large with varied habitat, terrain and land ownership, having a plan will increase your efficiency when traveling and surveying. You can survey anywhere in the grid cell as long as the area is public or you have permission. 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 region are rural, with limited travel routes and cellular service. As such, bring resources with you to navigate like printed maps.
When surveying, please follow all rules, regulations and posted signs; respect private property and take all necessary safety precautions. Inform a friend or family member of your survey plan, wear bright colors for roadside surveys, and use the car placard in the back of this handbook.
It is possible that when you arrive at a pre-selected site, you will find that conditions may not be optimal for a survey. For example, the wind may be too strong, rain may have started, or the open field has been developed. We encourage folks to be flexible, and opportunistic, but to stay within their assigned grid cell.
Where to Survey:
Permits for the following areas have been obtained, but you will need to contact the listed person to be added as a sub-permittee if you want to survey in the following areas:
When selecting a specific survey area, these tools may be of use:
*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.
Region-wide
Take some time to investigate your adopted grid cell. The grid cells are large with varied habitat, terrain and land ownership, having a plan will increase your efficiency when traveling and surveying. You can survey anywhere in the grid cell as long as the area is public or you have permission. 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 region are rural, with limited travel routes and cellular service. As such, bring resources with you to navigate like printed maps.
When surveying, please follow all rules, regulations and posted signs; respect private property and take all necessary safety precautions. Inform a friend or family member of your survey plan, wear bright colors for roadside surveys, and use the car placard in the back of this handbook.
It is possible that when you arrive at a pre-selected site, you will find that conditions may not be optimal for a survey. For example, the wind may be too strong, rain may have started, or the open field has been developed. We encourage folks to be flexible, and opportunistic, but to stay within their assigned grid cell.
Where to Survey:
- 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.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands – must contact refuge before visiting, FWS employee will accompany volunteer on surveys
- State Lands – Contact district conservation officer, State Park Manager, or Wildlife Management Area Manager before surveying in state park or Game Production Area to let them know when you’ll be surveying and that the methods are catch-and-release (there will be no collection of bees).
- Kansas District Conservation Officers: https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Law-Enforcement/Who-do-I-call
- Kansas State Parks Managers: https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations
- Kansas Wildlife Area Managers: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas
- North Dakota District Conservation Officers: https://gf.nd.gov/contact-us
- South Dakota District Conservation Officers: https://gfp.sd.gov/contactus/
Permits for the following areas have been obtained, but you will need to contact the listed person to be added as a sub-permittee if you want to survey in the following areas:
- National Parks – Contact greatplains.bba@xerces.org
- Kansas – Your name will be sent a general permit when you adopt a KS grid cell; please print the permit and bring it with you. Contact Laura Mendenhall with any questions.
- North Dakota State Parks; Game and Fish Areas – Contact Jerry Reinsch
- South Dakota State Parks – Contact Daniel Kim
When selecting a specific survey area, these tools may be of use:
*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.
Region-wide
- Google Maps with Overlaid Grid (you will be able to find the grid number of your adopted cell to help you plan a trip).
- Avenza Maps app: https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/how-it-works.html
- USGS Topo Maps: available from many outdoor retailers and as downloads.
- State Parks/Rec Areas: https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks
- Trails: https://www.getoutdoorskansas.org/trails
- State Parks/Rec Areas: https://www.parkrec.nd.gov/hiking
- Avenza Maps: https://www.avenzamaps.com/vendor/3507/north-dakota-parks-and-recreation-department?sort_by=stat&direction=desc
- State Parks/Rec Areas: https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/
- Trails: https://gfp.sd.gov/hiking/
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, because 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. If you’re unsure of the plant, take a few photographs of the flower head, stem and leaves for later 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 Phase 4. Once Phase 4 is complete and your vials are free again, return to Phase 3 and finish out the time remaining on your survey. When finished, note the end time of your survey.
Step 3: Photograph Each Bumble Bee Bee
After bees are cooled for several minutes (5-10min), their movement will be slow enough that you can easily photograph them. Photograph each bee one at a time using the grids on the data sheet as a background, ideally on a clipboard or cooler lid for a sturdy surface. Make sure your photos are well-lit and in focus. Using a camera with a macro lens setting (look for a flower icon) or a smartphone with a macro attachment lens works best. Clearly record which photos link to each bee on the data sheet, otherwise submitting data online will very hard and likely inaccurate. You can submit up to 5 photos per bee online.
If the bee is sluggish afterward, place it in the shade and allow it some time to return to ambient temperature.
See the back of the Great Plains Bumble Bee Atlas Identification Guide for a checklist of features that need to be photographed. More tips online bumblebeeatlas.org/gpphotos.
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
After photo documenting your bumble bees, or while they chill longer on ice, spend a few minutes filling out the Habitat Assessment Form. This form provides us with a snapshot of the present habitat and an idea of food and nesting resources available to bees in or near your survey area.
Step 5: Check for Completeness
While still at your survey area, double check your data sheets to ensure that they are complete. It may be tempting to fill out some of this information for later, or to finish when you get home, but 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
After completing your formal survey, please try to submit your data within one month. To submit data, log on to BumbleBeeAtlas.org, navigate to the Data tab and click Submit Data. Submit each point survey as a separate entry (1 point survey = 1 submission to Bumble Bee Watch).
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, because 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. If you’re unsure of the plant, take a few photographs of the flower head, stem and leaves for later 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 Phase 4. Once Phase 4 is complete and your vials are free again, return to Phase 3 and finish out the time remaining on your survey. When finished, note the end time of your survey.
Step 3: Photograph Each Bumble Bee Bee
After bees are cooled for several minutes (5-10min), their movement will be slow enough that you can easily photograph them. Photograph each bee one at a time using the grids on the data sheet as a background, ideally on a clipboard or cooler lid for a sturdy surface. Make sure your photos are well-lit and in focus. Using a camera with a macro lens setting (look for a flower icon) or a smartphone with a macro attachment lens works best. Clearly record which photos link to each bee on the data sheet, otherwise submitting data online will very hard and likely inaccurate. You can submit up to 5 photos per bee online.
If the bee is sluggish afterward, place it in the shade and allow it some time to return to ambient temperature.
See the back of the Great Plains Bumble Bee Atlas Identification Guide for a checklist of features that need to be photographed. More tips online bumblebeeatlas.org/gpphotos.
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
After photo documenting your bumble bees, or while they chill longer on ice, spend a few minutes filling out the Habitat Assessment Form. This form provides us with a snapshot of the present habitat and an idea of food and nesting resources available to bees in or near your survey area.
Step 5: Check for Completeness
While still at your survey area, double check your data sheets to ensure that they are complete. It may be tempting to fill out some of this information for later, or to finish when you get home, but 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
After completing your formal survey, please try to submit your data within one month. To submit data, log on to BumbleBeeAtlas.org, navigate to the Data tab and click Submit Data. Submit each point survey as a separate entry (1 point survey = 1 submission to Bumble Bee Watch).
