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Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) blooming adjacent to a forest road in Cook county, Minnesota
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February 25th, 2026
Nest Quest 2026 will have some changes to nest searching methods from the previous two years. As we learn new things, form new questions, and expand the project, it is important to adapt our methods to continue meeting our goals. To inform our transition to statewide surveys, we turned to a study by Juliet Osborne et al. published in 2008 for inspiration.
Case Study
"Quantifying and comparing bumblebee nest densities in gardens and countryside habitats"
Juliet Osborne et al. 2008
Great science is replicable
Great science is replicable
Replicating studies is a key part of the scientific process. Taking a project statewide is a big task, especially for a state as big and ecological diverse as Minnesota. Osborne and her team studied bumble bee nests across the United Kingdom, launching a similar project to Nest Quest, deemed the “National Bumblebee Nest Survey”. In their project, volunteers conducted surveys throughout the country and submitted their data for analysis.
The National Bumblebee Nest Survey’s goals were similar to Nest Quest’s: Find nests with crowdsourced data and identify nesting bumble bee habitat characteristics. While comparing this study to Nest Quest, we learned that the United Kingdom and Minnesota are very similar in size at 94,354 square miles (244,376 km2) and 86,936 square miles (225,163 km2) respectively. Very convenient for comparison!
How did Osborne’s study work? How does it compare to Nest Quest?
How did Osborne’s study work? How does it compare to Nest Quest?
Instead of searching in an area for a very long time, the National Bumblebee Nest Survey methods focused on small survey areas for a shorter amount of time. Observers set up for 5x5 meter plots (25 square meters) and surveyed for nest activity for 20 minutes.
Observers recorded data including:
The habitat they were surveying (ex: garden, countryside, etc.)
Specific features that were within their survey plot (ex: bird houses, compost piles).
Whether they found a bumble bee nest in their plot or not.
Nesting buff-tailed bumble bees (Bombus terrestris), a species native to Europe, and the United Kingdom. Photo: Philip Mark Osso via iNaturalist.org
These surveys allow for identifying fine scale habitat characteristics, as well as the ability to conduct a greater number of surveys. The small area also will help to have more certainty over our ability to detect a nest. In larger survey areas, it may feel unclear whether you missed a nest or not on your survey. In a small survey area, we can feel more certain about whether a nest was in the plot or not, because a small area is much easier to scour thoroughly.
A table comparing the difference in bumble bee nest surveying methods between Minnesota Bumble Bee Nest Quest and the UK National Bumblebee Nest Survey
What did the UK National Bumblebee Nest Survey find?
What did the UK National Bumblebee Nest Survey find?
In the summer of 2004, 719 volunteers detected 128 nests across the United Kingdom. Most of the nests found were located underground, with high densities of nests being observed in gardens, as well as along fence lines and hedgerows. Nests were not identified to species in this study. This study had a great turn out of volunteers and recorded an impressive amount of nests!
Adapting new methods for a study can bring uncertainty that can be nerve wracking. For any scientist, the thought of “what if this doesn’t work?” will often arise in the back of our heads. However, Osborne’s study design and results show that these methods have potential for success in Minnesota, as Nest Quest 2026 goes statewide.
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