Bumble Bee Conservation Through Community Science

Article by Amy Dolan, Conservation Biologist,
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
amy.dolan@xerces.org; 970-579-5059

Volunteers practice netting bumble bees at a 2024 training workshop hosted by Swaner Nature Preserve in Park City; *Xerces Society/Amy Dolan*

Throughout the summer of 2024, across 20 states including Utah, volunteers headed outside with a net, vials, a cooler, and a camera in order to learn about and help bumble bees. These volunteers represented a diversity of backgrounds: some were biologists, botanists, or ecologists; others were garden or native plant lovers; some were teachers or students; others were avid hikers and outdoor enthusiasts; and some simply wanted to help. They all decided to join a Xerces Society Bumble Bee Atlas community science project to help researchers map and conserve native bumble bees in their region.

Utah is part of the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas, which launched in June 2024 and encompasses the states of Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming. Atlas volunteers were trained by either attending an in-person event or using online resources. After training, they adopted a 50x50 kilometer grid cell and committed to conducting at least two surveys during the summer field season. The most exciting part was the surveys themselves: volunteers searched for bumble bees for 45 minutes, netted them, placed them in vials on ice to chill and immobilize them (without causing harm), then took a series of photographs of each bee before it warmed up and flew away. The photographs and survey data were uploaded to the Bumble Bee Watch website. In the project’s first year, Mountain States Atlas volunteers conducted 177 surveys, observed over 1,700 bumble bees, and documented 23 species across the four-state region! This work will continue in 2025 with more volunteers, more surveys, and an abundance of new data.

Pollinator habitat; *Xerces Society/Sara Morris*

But why are we doing this? Why are volunteers heading out to net bumble bees? Every gardener and native plant lover knows about pollinators— butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, even beetles and bats. We recognize their importance, welcome them into our gardens, marvel at their diversity, and enjoy sharing pictures of them on our favorite flowers. Among pollinators, bumble bees are especially lovable. Large, colorful, fuzzy, and active from early spring until late fall, they are easy to recognize and appreciate. Unfortunately, a suite of compounding factors have been working against them, causing drastic declines in range and abundance. Habitat loss, pathogens, pesticides, competition from non-native bees, and climate change have all played a role. Over the past several decades, researchers have documented alarming declines in once-common bumble bee species. At least 25% of the nearly 50 North American species have experienced population declines, shrinking ranges, or both. A few of our species haven’t been seen in years.

One of the best things anyone can do to help bumble bees— and other pollinators— is to provide habitat. Bees survive solely on nectar and pollen from flowers so they need floral resources from early spring until late fall. Bumble bees often nest in abandoned cavities like rodent burrows or rock piles while queens hibernate a few inches deep in soil, leaf litter, or compost. Maintaining “messy” areas of a yard or garden can provide this vital nesting and overwintering habitat. The best bee habitat is chemical-free, so it's important to carefully consider if and how pesticides are used.

Unlike many other native bees that love hot and dry conditions, bumble bees are adapted for cooler, montane environments. This makes the Intermountain West a fun place to observe them! Based mostly on historic data and museum specimens, researchers know of 19 bumble bee species with ranges in Utah (though there is much discussion and disagreement about bumble bee taxonomy, so this number varies). At least three other species’ ranges could extend into the state from the north or west and the common eastern bumble bee (B. impatiens) could be detected here, though an observation of this species would likely be an escapee from a commercial hive.

Much of the data that we have about bumble bees are old. Bumble bee records from Utah go as far back as the 1880s. But we haven’t looked for bumble bees in all parts of the state since some regions are remote, rugged, and difficult for humans to access. Landscape conditions have changed drastically in the past few decades due to things like agriculture, urbanization, drought, desertification, and fire.

We need more comprehensive, up-to-date information on where bumble bee species currently are, the types of habitats they’re utilizing, and the flowers they’re relying on. This information is essential if we want to make informed conservation decisions to help bumble bee populations recover.

Bumble Bee Atlas volunteers photograph bees at La Sal Pass field training in August 2024; *Xerces Society/Amy Dolan*

That’s where the Bumble Bee Atlas comes in. This project is all about data collection. The Atlas relies on community science volunteers following a standardized protocol to collect data at a large regional scale. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Society is inviting passionate volunteers across the Mountain States to join this community science project for the 2025 field season. Anyone can join; no experience is necessary. Our four-state region is huge with 371 grid cells that need to be surveyed (76 in Utah) so we need all the help we can get!

To learn more about the project, check out the website at BumbleBeeAtlas.org or contact Amy, the Atlas coordinator, at mtnstatesbba@xerces.org. If you are unable to conduct surveys yourself, you can still help! Incidental observations of bumble bees can be uploaded to BumbleBeeWatch.org or the Utah Pollinator Pursuit project on iNaturalist. Anyone can plant flowers, provide habitat, and spread awareness about these important and imperiled animals.

There will be several different Atlas training opportunities for the 2025 field season, including a virtual training webinar for volunteers on Wednesday, April 23 and in-person events in April and May. Join the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas e-newsletter and keep an eye on the Atlas events page to learn about other upcoming workshops or field trainings as they are scheduled: BumbleBeeAtlas.org/pages/events.

*Join Utah Pollinator Pursuit & the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas on Saturday, May 10, 2025 for a joint training workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah!*

Register Here!

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