2011 Summer Projects
See list below!
How to become an NYC Bee Watcher
- Sign up (you will receive emails about once a week through the summer about what bees are active and how to collect data).
-
Summer Projects - We are in need of some bee records for NYC. If you find any of the species in
question, take a photo and send in the information. Or, if you do not have a
camera, let us know exactly where the particular plant is in bloom and weʼll visit
the site and see what we can find. See below for details (datasheet, instructions):
1. Thistle observations
Some bees of interest visit thistle species (Cirsium sp.), including a new
introduced species with conspicuous yellow markings. We would like to know
what species are around in NYC and where they are found. If you find thistle (any
kind) growing where you live or other nearby locales, please photograph the bees
you see on the thistle plants.
Photographs needed: close-up of bees on the thistle, and photo of plant itself for
ID purposes. If you get a good photograph a bee different than a honey bee,
bumble bee, or large carpenter bee, send it to BugGuide (www.bugguide.net) for
identification and then report to beewatchers with this information along with the
data from the site visit. Data should include date and exact location.
2) Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum)
We need records of this bee from Staten Island. Look for this bee visiting lambs
ear or other woolly-leaved plants.
3) Leaf-cutter Bee (Anthidium oblongatum)
This bee has not yet been documented from Manhattan. It gathers nectar and
pollen from birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and rock sedum. If you find these
plants in bloom and see this bee, please take a photo, collect a specimen or let
us know where in bloom so we can visit.
4) Squash Bees (Peponapsis pruinosa)
We are missing squash bee records from Manhattan. If you find this bee in
your squash blossoms (pumpkins, melons, zucchini etc.), please photograph and
send in the information to us at beewatchers@gmail.com or let us know where
squash is in bloom and weʼll come check. Squash bees visit open blooms in the
morning only, until the squash blooms close at mid-day.
5) Hibiscus (Mallow) Bees (Ptilothrix bombiformis )
These uncommon bees have not yet been documented from Manhattan. If you
have or see mallow (any variety) in bloom, please photograph any bumble-beelike-
bees visiting the plant (not honey bees) and send them along with exact
locational information to beewatchers@gmail.com. Or let us know exactly
where mallow is blooming and if you think you see the bee and we can visit.
6) General Bee records from Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx
We still lack records from these boroughs for many species that are well known
in better-surveyed Manhattan and Brooklyn. Please submit images
to BugGuide for identification of non-bumble bee or non-carpenter or honey bees
pictures. As always, be sure to include date, and detailed locational information
(latitude and longitude if possible).
7) Help us identify “good” pollinator plants.
We are developing a list of plants that seem to attract the most bees or other
pollinators. You can help by sending in observations about which plant species
or varieties have lots of pollinator visitors. We want to know: plant species
observed, primary pollinators (bees, flies, butterflies), date, location, time of day.
And any other notes you think might be of interest. Photos are welcome, too. If
you see a flower that is loaded with visiting pollinators, take a picture and email it
to beewatchers@gmail.com.
The most recent records include reports of honey bees, bumble bees, and giant
resin bees feeding on Catalpa and English ivy blooms.
8) Where do bees nest in NYC? Help us find bee nests.
Keep your eyes open for nesting bees. Look for nesting aggregations in the
ground—many small holes in the soil where bees are nesting. Follow bumble
bees from where they nectar to their nest location. Check shrubs with pithy stems
for any bee activity. Watch any bees that are collecting leaf material from your
plants and see where they go. Send in your observations (date, weather,
location, description, and photo if you can get one). - Everyone is welcome to participate.
Any questions? Do you have other skills to share? Please email us at beewatchers@gmail.com.
Thanks!