Posts About Wild Bee Survey
Summer Bee Update: Four Years in, the Flood of New Species is Becoming a Trickle
Year four of the Vermont Wild Bee Survey is winding down, but not before adding at least three new species to the state checklist. Additional species certainly await discovery, but the number of new ones found each is steadily declining, suggesting we’ve located the vast majority of the species present.
No Mow May
Are you dreading the lawn mowing that’s sure to follow the upcoming warm spell? Well leaving the lawnmower in storage is all the range right now! Call the “weeds” flowers, and embrace the insects and other wildlife that will show up to enjoy the buffet.
Long Distance Collaboration Documents An Overlooked, Hyper-Diverse Taxon
Two dedicated volunteers and a graduate student in Utah come together to document one of Vermont’s least studied and most diverse insect families!
A Poorly Known Bee Hiding in Plain Sight
Through a combination of specimens and iNaturalist observations, the Vermont Wild Bee Survey is illuminating a rare bee, even if the exact identity isn’t yet known.
New Bees Discovered in Vermont with Worldwide Teamwork
The Vermont Wild Bee Survey has amassed over 50,000 bee records and discovered over 50 new bee species for the state in just two years. It takes an entire village to discover bees–volunteer naturalists, field biologists, and bee identification experts. Three new bee discoveries in June highlights the teamwork.
Vermont Wild Bee Survey Discovers New Pollinators for the State
The survey has added about 50 new bee species to the state checklist over the last two years and will likely add many more as field surveys continue and historic collections are closely examined. You can help too! Join our survey. It’s as easy as snapping a photo with your smartphone.
Pruinose Squash Bee Mission Update
Earlier this year, we called on our Citizen Scientists to find as many Pruinose Squash Bees as possible. Find out the results of this mini-mission!
Mission: Find and Share Observations of Squash Bees from Your Garden
The Eastern Squash Bee is an important pollinator of cultivated crops of squash, pumpkins, and related plants. Only reported in five counties so far, we need your help in recording the range of this species in Vermont. Just watch some squash flowers in your garden with camera in hand!
Help Us Find August Bees!
While July might have been the best month for bee diversity, August brings the best chance for rare species that can be identified from photos. In addition to the many fall specialists, there are numerous kleptoparasitic species active right now.
The Bees of July
As June fades into July, summer strengthens its grip on the landscape, bringing with it sweltering days and billowing thunderheads. It also means increased bee activity after a month with relatively little. In terms of diversity of genera, July may be the best month for bee watching in Vermont.
