Bumble bees

Bumble bees

In the first phase of the MN Bee Atlas, volunteers conducted catch and release surveys of bumble bees along roadside survey routes throughout Minnesota. We learned important things about the community structure and habitat associations of bumble bees in the state, including the endangered rusty patched bumble bee. Results from the first phase can be found here.

Bumble bee surveys continue with the Minnesota Bumble Bee Atlas, a joint project with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Volunteers catch and release bumble bees in surveys throughout the state. Learn more at BumbleBeeAtlas.org.

Photographs of bumble bees you see while camping, hiking, walking the dog, etc. can be submitted to the Xerces Society’s Bumble Bee Watch project. See recommendations in "MN Bee Atlas iNaturalist project" regarding bee photography. MN records from Bumble Bee Watch will be integrated into the Minnesota Bee Atlas.