Roadside Survey Overview
Roadside surveys are an alternative method of surveying that are useful in places with little public land available. Roadside surveys take place along a 10-mile stretch of road within your grid cell and are carried out by car or bike. Along the 10 mile stretch, you will conduct five 15 person-minute surveys that are at least ½ mile apart and complete one habitat assessment at each site. You will catch, photograph, record, and release bees at one site before moving to the next; essentially conducting five “mini” point surveys.
Often times, these 15-minute surveys allow for easy participation because roadsides are readily accessible and do not require walking long distances or across uneven terrain. However, roadsides tend to host many nonnative plants and a goal of the Atlas is to understand how bumble bees are interacting with native plant communities.
Roadside surveys may be conducted when traveling to or from a point survey site (as to complete your 2-survey minimum in a single day), or on their own, but should take place within your adopted grid cell. Please be sure to respect private property, follow posted signs and regulations, and obtain permits or permission if necessary.
Safety vests or bright colors are highly recommended for roadside surveys.
Roadside surveys are an alternative method of surveying that are useful in places with little public land available. Roadside surveys take place along a 10-mile stretch of road within your grid cell and are carried out by car or bike. Along the 10 mile stretch, you will conduct five 15 person-minute surveys that are at least ½ mile apart and complete one habitat assessment at each site. You will catch, photograph, record, and release bees at one site before moving to the next; essentially conducting five “mini” point surveys.
Often times, these 15-minute surveys allow for easy participation because roadsides are readily accessible and do not require walking long distances or across uneven terrain. However, roadsides tend to host many nonnative plants and a goal of the Atlas is to understand how bumble bees are interacting with native plant communities.
Roadside surveys may be conducted when traveling to or from a point survey site (as to complete your 2-survey minimum in a single day), or on their own, but should take place within your adopted grid cell. Please be sure to respect private property, follow posted signs and regulations, and obtain permits or permission if necessary.
Safety vests or bright colors are highly recommended for roadside surveys.
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 Roadside Survey
Step 1: Plan Your Route
Within your adopted grid cell, select a stretch of road that is at least 10 miles long. Ideally, the stretch will have several obvious open patches when looking at aerial imagery online. To find a route, we suggest using the Google Map that displays the Atlas grids so you can save locations, create start and end points, get directions, and share your plan with a friend or family member.
Step 2: Begin Your Survey
At the start of your selected route, pull over at the first patch of blooming flowers that you observe. Please park carefully, follow local regulations and be aware of any safety hazards. Before filling out the bumble bee data sheet, observe the flower patch—if you observe bee activity, begin the survey. If there is no bee activity, drive to the next patch of flowers.
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, 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 are 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.
Step 3: Photograph Each Bumble Bee Bee
After the first 15-minute survey, photograph and release all the chilled bees you collected at that site before moving to the next survey. If the bee is still moving too much, leave the vial on ice for 5-10 more minutes while you fill out the Habitat Assessment form for that site. 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, fill out a Habitat Assessment form for each roadside stop. Be sure to carefully record which bumble bee data sheet matches each habitat form.
Step 5: Check for Completeness
While still at your survey area, double check both of your data sheets to ensure that they are complete. Make sure you know which bumble bee survey data sheet is associated with which habitat assessment form. 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.
Step 6: Repeat
Drive or bike at least ½ mile down the road, find another patch of flowering plants, and conduct another survey starting at Phase 2. The roadside survey is complete when you have surveyed 5 different locations along your 10-mile route. You will have 5 bumble bee survey data sheets and 5 habitat assessment forms, one pair from each stop.
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. Submit each of the five stops during a roadside survey as a separate entry (1 roadside survey = 5 submissions to Bumble Bee Watch). Try to do submit within one month of completing your survey.
Step 1: Plan Your Route
Within your adopted grid cell, select a stretch of road that is at least 10 miles long. Ideally, the stretch will have several obvious open patches when looking at aerial imagery online. To find a route, we suggest using the Google Map that displays the Atlas grids so you can save locations, create start and end points, get directions, and share your plan with a friend or family member.
Step 2: Begin Your Survey
At the start of your selected route, pull over at the first patch of blooming flowers that you observe. Please park carefully, follow local regulations and be aware of any safety hazards. Before filling out the bumble bee data sheet, observe the flower patch—if you observe bee activity, begin the survey. If there is no bee activity, drive to the next patch of flowers.
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, 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 are 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.
Step 3: Photograph Each Bumble Bee Bee
After the first 15-minute survey, photograph and release all the chilled bees you collected at that site before moving to the next survey. If the bee is still moving too much, leave the vial on ice for 5-10 more minutes while you fill out the Habitat Assessment form for that site. 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, fill out a Habitat Assessment form for each roadside stop. Be sure to carefully record which bumble bee data sheet matches each habitat form.
Step 5: Check for Completeness
While still at your survey area, double check both of your data sheets to ensure that they are complete. Make sure you know which bumble bee survey data sheet is associated with which habitat assessment form. 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.
Step 6: Repeat
Drive or bike at least ½ mile down the road, find another patch of flowering plants, and conduct another survey starting at Phase 2. The roadside survey is complete when you have surveyed 5 different locations along your 10-mile route. You will have 5 bumble bee survey data sheets and 5 habitat assessment forms, one pair from each stop.
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. Submit each of the five stops during a roadside survey as a separate entry (1 roadside survey = 5 submissions to Bumble Bee Watch). Try to do submit within one month of completing your survey.