Recording Sample Data
4 bees at once!
Photo by Ginny Stibolt
Collecting data is simple.
Twice per month, we will send you an email giving you the preferred sampling weekend. If you can't watch your sunflower on one of those days, try to pick a warm, sunny day within a week of that weekend.
Between 10 and 12 on Saturday or Sunday (or the day you pick), check the temperature and write it down. Then, grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage (bees pollinate coffee!!), a chair, a data sheet and pencil and a stop watch or clock. Set up your chair so that you can see your sunflower plant but are far enough away that you won't scare the bees. Focus on one sunflower plant. Count the number of open flowers on the plant. Only count younger flowers that still have pollen or nectar (you can touch the center of the flower to see if there is pollen). Once you are settled, start timing and write down how long it takes for the first five bees to arrive at your sunflower. After 15 minutes, you can stop. If you haven't seen 5 bees by then, we want to know! You probably have some of our most important data.
We would prefer to have a time for each bee. So, let's say you start your stopwatch right at 10:00. The first bee arrives at 10:01. You would write down 10:01. The second bee arrives at 10:07. You would write down 10:07. The third bee and fourth bee arrive together at 10:09. You would write down 10:09 for both bees. The fifth bee arrives at 10:10. You would write down 10:10. That's IT!! You then take your data to the computer, login and use our easy pull down system to let us know what you saw. I want to emphasize, that the MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS are the places where you don't see five bees, especially those that don't see any bees. This is important because these are the places that bees might need help. One of our main goals is figuring out where bees are in trouble. If you are not seeing them, we need to know!!
So, if you started timing and your sunflower looked like the one at the top of the page, you'd have 4 bees that all had the same time of 0 seconds and minutes. You just have to wait for one more bee to arrive. Drink that coffee quickly!
Seeing very few or no bees is the MOST IMPORTANT DATA that you could get.
Now, if you want to get fancier, you can try to identify your bees. Given the prevalence of Colony collapse disorder in Honey bees and the suggestion that Bumble bees are struggling, we are especially interested in getting information on those groups. If you can tell those two, after looking at our guide, please let us know which of your bees were honey bees, carpenter bees, green metallic bees, or bumble bees. If they all look the same to you, just call them "Don't know" bees. We're very happy with those data!
Comments
When to sample?
I am not receiving the periodic e-mails about your suggested sampling dates. I was out of town most of July but I would like to participate from now on, but don't know when the suggested dates are. Can you please let me know how to get this info? D in NY
Thanks from a teacher!
I planted the Lemon Queen sunflowers in our school garden last spring and my High School students are doing bee observations as part of my science class. Thanks for a great looking garden, plus a fun, natural "into" project to open a discussion about science and experimental technique at the beginning of the school year.
Please add me to the list in
Please add me to the list in giving me the preferred sampling weekends. I will begin this weekend to observe and report.
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the MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
the MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS are the places where you don't see five bees, especially those that don't see any bees. This is important because these are the places that bees might need help. One of our main goals is figuring out where bees are in trouble. If you are not seeing them, we need to know,,.Given the prevalence of Colony collapse disorder in Honey bees and the suggestion that Bumble bees are struggling, we are especially interested in getting information on those groups,,..Thank you,,..Attractions in New York
Informative post
This informative post is going to be very helpful for me. Thanks for your effors
SUV Reviews
Nice project !!!
Bees either focus on gathering nectar or on gathering pollen depending on demand, especially in social species. Bees gathering nectar accomplish pollination, but bees that are deliberately gathering pollen are more efficient pollinators.
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I read your article. This is
I read your article. This is they easy way to collect sample datas for any kind of issue. Making a chart and following, updating is a easy task. Thanks!
Golfkurse
bee data
i have some sample data of mine can i send it to you for some analysis..
Thank you.
data recovery
Lemon Queen Seeds
The Lemon Queen seeds I received from the Project did germinate. The sprouts started out looking healthy, but soon all of them withered and died - I'm not sure why. I had them planted beside another sunflower variety and it was doing fine. I went out and bought my own packet of Lemon Queen, and although they were planted a little late, the store bought seeds survived and the plants should bloom soon.
the sunflowers
The seeds had a hard time coming up because our early summer was cold and wet all of June. Then earwigs devoured the sprouts that did appear. But now I have four survivors and they will soon bloom and I shall be eagerly counting the bees. There are lots of other flowers in my garden, but I have only seen bumble bees & carpenter bees so far.
sunflowers
I will begin this weekend to observe and report.
disturbed bees
I have one red sunflower full of pollin but the bees are ignoring it totally. For several days there have been at lest two dozen honey bees in my petunias. This morning they are still there but are just hovering around and not landing in the flowers like they have been in the past days. They just seem agitated and over active. I thought they might just be getting warmed up this morning but its 10 AM and they are acting no different than at 7:30AM. There are also quite a few bees crawing in and out of the big yellow lilly blossoms but they aren't out on the pollen producing parts.
Odd.
It might be that there is more pollen available in the petunias right now and that once the sunflower pollen opens, you'll get bees. It also might be that your red sunflower is one of the pollen-free varieties which would make it less attractive to bees.
no bees on red sunflower
Honey bees do not see the color red and therefore will not pollinate red flowers.
my seeds didn't germinate either but other sunflowers came up
the seeds sent from the project didn't germinate but other volunteer seeds did come up from bird feeding and last years crop of sunflowers. i'm just recording data from those instead and hoping that will help regardless.
they will take data from other flowers, coreopsis and a list of others is on the site here somewhere. look around you can find a list they will accept.
Is it OK to record bees on
Is it OK to record bees on them or should I wait until next year and hope for a better crop of sunflowers? this very nice i like to watch them.
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eeepc 901
bees in my sun flowers
Today is 7-22-08 and I seen four bees in my garden hanging out on my sunflowers. I love to watch them
None of my seeds germinated
Hello,
I'm unable to record data because my seeds did not germinate. I do have shasta daisy and purple coneflower in my garden, which are attracting bees. Is it ok to record bees on them or should I wait until next year and hope for a better crop of sunflowers?
Thanks
Purple coneflowers are on
Purple coneflowers are on the list of flowers to record. Use the pull down menu where it says lemon queen sunflower and a list of the other flowers will scroll down.
my seeds not germinating
Hello,
I'm sad to say, but it looks as though none of the sunflower seeds I've received are going to grow. I set aside a few pots and a small bit of ground near the raspberries, but it's been over 3 weeks since I planted them and so far, nothing. Has anyone else had their seeds not germinate a single flower?
I do have a couple of sunflowers that have just bloomed near my bird feeding station; they are spillover the birds plant for me. I have no idea what variety they are, they are from black oil sunflower seeds, but I may try to collect bee data from them. I have seen some bees around the roses, the raspberries and the other wildflowers, not as many as last year but a few; should I also collect data on those plants?
data collecting
Hello,
Our sunflowers at our school site are finally ready to collect data.
Please add me to the list in giving me the preferred sampling weekends.
Thanks!
Corinne Majernik
Fairsite Elementary School
P.S. Since school is out for the summer, I might do it during the weekdays. We will see.
bees on privet bush
Hello, I haven't received your seeds but I have been seeing many many bees on our privet bush, which is covered with blooms.
It sounds so loud when I get near there. They are also on my other flowers, sage petunias etc. There is honey bees and bumble bees.
Thankfully. from Bradford County near Athens PA ,
No flowers!
Unfortunately, our sunflowers didn't grow. Not a one. But I have TONS of other flowers in my yard, that the bees love and this year we have LOTS of bees around. Not like last year, when you saw very few. Bumblebees are another thing. Those we have not seen very many of. Carpender bees, yes. They love to nest in my old horse barn, but regular bumblebees no. Can I do my reporting on a different flower or does it have to be one of your sunflowers?
Bee idenification
Momz flower power
Could we take a picture of the bees? I have a cell phone camera. Could I send a picture via email to you for IDing?
Please do take pictures of bees!
Bees are hard to identify to species without really getting a good look but, we can usually tell you something about the bee. It will help if you can also tell us where you took the picture. Take a look at www.bugguide.net to see one of the best places for getting pictures identified. Many of the photographers who contributed photos to our site post their pictures there. John Ascher, who does many of the identifications, is one of the best.