Nest Monitoring

UPDATE as of February 25th, 2026: 

Nest Quest 2026 has launched statewide with adapted protocols. Volunteers in 2024-2025 will remember doing 1 hour, meandering surveys. In 2026, we are shifting to a more fine scale protocol with stationary, 20 minute surveys. This year, nest monitoring is not required, but is a great way to make new natural history observations as we discover the nests of new species. 

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What is nest monitoring? 

Nest monitoring, or conducting nest observations, is a way that scientists gather data about bumble bee nests. Consistent nest monitoring can allow us to make inferences about population sizes of the bees living in the nest, learn about predation at the nest, and provide insight on nest phenology (e.g. when the nest is no longer active). 

Why is nest monitoring important? 

As we have mentioned throughout our Nest Quest trainings, there are many large gaps in knowledge when it comes to bumble bee nesting, and nest monitoring allows us to gather information about bumble bees that we cannot answer by simply observing them at flowers. 

Minnesota is home to 25 different species of bumble bees. For many of these species, there are minimal documentations published in scientific literature about their nests. These types of documentations are what we classify as natural history observations. We can define natural history as understanding organisms, like plants, animals, and fungi, in their natural environment - or the habitats in which they occur. Having a more in-depth understanding of any organism can help us understand how to better support that organism, especially through a changing climate. 

What does nest monitoring look like?  

Nest monitoring is optional to Nest Quest volunteers, but may be important if you document a nest of a rare or uncommon species. 

Each nest observation is 20 minutes long. You will observe the nest from a safe distance, about 3 feet away from the nest entrance. If you notice the nest is particularly active or the bees appear agitated, take a couple steps back or abandon your nest observation for the day. Your safety is more important than collecting the data. 

Step 1 

Complete the first section of your data sheet. Record the nest ID, date, and weather conditions. Then, start your 20 minute timer. Record your start time.

Step 2 

Observe the nest entrance. If you see a bee enter, place a tally in the "Enter" column. If she has pollen, add a tally to the corresponding size column (None = no pollen, XL = lots of pollen). If you see a bee exit, place a tally in the "Exit" column. Each row should represent an individual bee. 

See below to learn more about where bumble bees carry their pollen and for examples of the different sizes. 

Note the size of your bee. Is she a worker? Is she a queen? 

Step 3 

After your 20 minutes is up, note the end time of your observation onto the top of your data sheet. 

Then, total up the number of bees you saw entering and exiting the nest during your survey using the box at the bottom of your data sheet. 

Step 4 

Enter your data. You can do so through our Data Portal. 

How do bees carry their pollen? How do I know what is a "small" versus "large" pollen load? 

While pollen is commonly yellow or orange, it can also be red, green, blue, and even purple. Take a look at the examples of pollen load sizes below.