Online Trainings

Nest Quest Virtual Training for Volunteers

Recorded live June 17th, 2024. Program leaders walk through bumble bee ecology basics, previous research on bumble bee nesting, project protocols, and an introduction to Survey123. 

What are signs of bumble bee nesting? 

There are several ways you may find nests.

1. Observing bumble bee flight behavior

Since we are focusing on bumble bees in flight, not at flowers, it will be difficult to get a close look at them and we do not expect species level identification. You will need to distinguish bumble bees from other flying insects as they fly through the air. 

Sight

Bumble bees vary in size, but tend to be stouter than other bees, wasps, or flies that you might encounter. They tend to fly as if they are heading for a target, whereas flies, for example, may spend more time hovering. Many bumble bees are dark in appearance as they fly, though you may see yellow or red coloration. They may have bright colored pollen on their legs.

Sound

Bumble bees make a characteristic buzz as they fly through the air. The hum is similar to the sound of a distant jet ski motor or chain saw. It is lower frequency than the buzz of honey bees or flies.

Once you are used to finding bumble bees, look for a few key behaviors. Look for bumble bees suddenly flying down into the ground (or another structure such as a rock wall or bird nest). If you see a bee entering a hole, you will need wait until you see the bee emerge to confirm that there is a nest there, and the bee did not just fly down to rest. This may take up to 15 minutes. If you do not see additional activity, still make note of the location as a potential nest with the data form.

You may also see bees leaving a nest. When bumble bees leave their nests, they often take characteristic orientation flight, where they fly in increasingly large circles facing their nest. This behavior helps them to recognize their nest when they return. If you observe this behavior, wait 15 minutes in the area to see if you see a bee entering the nest to be able to confirm the nest location. If you do not see additional activity, still make note of the location as a potential nest with the data form.

2. Finding the nest

Occasionally, you may find a nest itself before seeing any flying bees. If you walk near the nest, you may hear the bumble bees buzzing inside.

Bumble Bee ID

While bumble bee ID is not required for Nest Quest, you are welcome to review these additional resources. 

Planning to conduct nest observations? 

Once nests are found, volunteers have the option to monitor these nests. We are looking for information like how many bees are entering and exiting, if they have pollen loads, if there are signs of predation, and more. Click here to learn more about features to look for while conducting nest observations. 

Nest observation data sheets are available here.