1. HOW TO GET A BEE INTO A NET (AND THEN INTO A KILLING JAR)
Here is a short video on how to get bees into your nets and from your nets into your killing jars. There is more than one way to do this, but with practice, the maneuvers featured in this video can quick, easy and reliable.
2. CONTRIBUTING TO THE PNW BUMBLE BEE ATLAS
Beyond the required three group activities, we encourage Atlas members to explore and do special projects that most interest them. One project many volunteers have expressed interest in is the Xerces Society PNW Bumble Bee Atlas. In this video Rich Hatfield from the Xerces Society explains what the PNW Bumble Bee Atlas is and how to get involved with it. Rich has also included a step-by-step guide to break down some of the important steps for you.
3. WHAT DO I DO WITH THE NEST BLOCKS?
If you have some nest blocks, these should go up over the course of the next month. Ideally, you will find natural locations to place the blocks in adjacent to a natural plant communities, but you can also place these in gardens or adjacent to agricultural fields (any place you think cavity nesting bees or wasps will be). We are just in the process of emerging last year’s bees and hope to add them to the Atlas to in the spring. You can find the updated manual for placing these blocks here.
The bees nesting in the blocks in 2018 are now being emerged in the incubators at OSU.
4. WHAT YOU MISSED ON FACEBOOK
The first round of Portland volunteers get ready for their willow sampling at PCC-Rock Creek (March 30)
Lori Humphreys (Eugene Team Leader) works through her Osmia from last year by making detailed notes on her images. She asked on FB if there was an Osmia key. Briana Lindh directed Lori to the Discoverlife Osmia key online. Lincoln Best made the additional suggestion of using the Osmia female temp key - a draft key to the Western Osmia. The keys to Osmia, however, are still in development. Linc warns “buyer beware”. Thanks Lori for getting the conversation going and for your meticulous images.
Michael O’Loughlin found this amazing fly mimic (left) of Bombus frigidus (right). Very cool find Michael! Lincoln reminds volunteer: “Tuck those bumble bee legs in! Just fold them under the body when the specimens are pliable”.