Preliminary Scouting Guidelines
We began this project by using guidelines that were based on other published pollinator studies. These guidelines were adjusted to accommodate Northwest blueberry production practices. The following revised, preliminary guidelines can be used for assessing native pollinator populations on-farm:
- Begin pollinator observations two weeks before expected first bloom.
- Observe the field during fair-weather conditions that are conducive to potential pollinator activity, avoiding rainy days. Also, concentrate your search time from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, as these are peak hours for pollinator activity.
- Designate three locations in the field that will be surveyed: one close-to-natural habitat, one mid-field, and one farthest from the majority of natural habitat.
- In each designated location, stand still and scan the area, noting any pollinators in a three to five minute time period. Categorize pollinators as bombus (bumble bee) or non-bombus (other wild pollinators).
- Walk a row at each designated location to account for other pollinators foraging in the general area. Spend an equal amount of time walking as was spent standing in a location.
- An insect net is useful to collect bee samples for further investigation. Swiftly place the net onto the pollinator of interest. Bees tend to fly up inside the net rather than down out the bottom; so, be sure to cinch the net below the captured bee to trap it. Click here to view a video on good practices for capturing pollinators with a net.
- Place a sample cup inside the secured portion of the net and guide it toward the bee. Corner the bee so that it is between the cup and taunt net. From there either drag the cupped bee down the taunt netting to the end of the opening to lid the cup or insert a lid in between the taunt netting and the cup to enclose the bee.
In place of, or along with netting, take pictures, as this ‘freezes the moment' to help you identify the pollinator.
With any collected information/specimens, determine the proportion of non-bombus to bombus pollinators found. If you have specific samples you wish to identify, contact a regional bee specialist or post images of your finding on bugguide.net.
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