17 de julio de 2019

BACKYARD BUMBLE BEE COUNT- July 13-21

Here is an iNaturalist project that complements ours - consider adding any bumble bee observations during July 13-21 (2019) to this national blitz. You will need to record a few extra pieces of information, but it will help provide useful information on some of our favorite pollinators

https://backyardbbcount.wixsite.com/bumblebeecount

Publicado el julio 17, 2019 10:57 MAÑANA por rjm2 rjm2 | 2 comentarios | Deja un comentario

28 de mayo de 2019

Celebrate National Pollinator 2019 Week/Month with a Bee Walk or Event!

We have an assortment of bee and pollinator exploration events planned across the region. These events are all free with no registration required, except for the June 18th program at Secrest (see details below).

Full links and details here: http://u.osu.edu/beelab/spring-and-summer-programs-2019/

June 15th, Wooster Memorial Park: bee walk and bee blitz 1PM to 3PM (park at education entrance).

June 18th: Secrest Arboretum, Wooster: early summer bees, plants and pollinators with a focus on bumble bees. This is an indoor and outdoor workshop from 10AM to 2PM, please register. Meet at the Secrest Welcome and Education Center. Dress for the weather and light walking. $10 at the door for the public; free for VPS class participants. Pack a water bottle and your lunch.

June 19th, Smuckers Store in Orville: bee walk and bee blitz 1PM to 3PM (meet at store entrance)

June 20th, Rittman Orchards in Doylestown: bee walk and bee blitz 1PM to 3PM (meet at store entrance)

June 21st, Chadwick Arboretum on the OSU Columbus campus (meet in front of Howlett Hall): bee walk and bee blitz 1PM to 3PM

June 22nd, Pollinator Palooza at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus. Free event, lots of activities and displays! Rain or shine! Free bee walks at 11:30, 1PM and 2PM in the pollinator garden. No field clothes needed.

Dress for the field (long pants, hat, shoes for walking, bring water). Nets, vials and bee cards provided. Individual events are cancelled if it's raining (call for message: 330-263-3723). Denise Ellsworth will be leading each event.

Questions? Please email: ellsworth.2@osu.edu

We hope to see you and the bees on National Pollinator Week!

Denise

Denise Ellsworth
Ohio State Extension, Department of Entomology

Publicado el mayo 28, 2019 06:39 TARDE por drells drells | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

11 de junio de 2018

Bee Blitzes across Ohio during National Pollinator Week, June 16 - 24

Join Denise Ellsworth from the OSU Bee Lab along with fellow bee enthusiasts at one of these Bee Blitz events across Ohio during National Pollinator Week, June 16 - 24. We'll use nets and vials to catch (and then release) bees in the field and identify common Ohio species. Shorter events are free; longer events require registration and small fee (http://u.osu.edu/thebuzz/2018/06/11/bee-blitzes-across-ohio-during-national-pollinator-week-june-16-24/).

Nets, bee ID guides and vials provided to use in the field. Bring water, a snack or lunch in a day pack, and dress for the weather and ticks. If the weather looks threatening, call Denise to check for cancellations: (234) 249-4346. Questions? Contact Denise at ellsworth.2@osu.edu

Saturday, June 16th: 11:00 - 1PM (no fee)
Bissell Nature Center,  3973 Callender Road, Rock Creek, OH 44084

Monday, June 18th: 1PM - 3PM (no fee)
Smuckers Store, Orville. Meet in parking lot: pollinator plot is south of the lot.

Tuesday, June 19, 10AM - 3PM ($10, registration required)
Secrest Arboretum, Wooster 
Ohio Pollinator Advocate Training and PM Bee Blitz
Indoor training in the morning, field time in the afternoon
Bring your lunch

Wednesday, June 20: 1PM - 3PM (no fee)
Rittman Orchard, Doylestown. Meet at the orchard store entrance.

Thursday, June 21: 1PM - 3PM (free for members, $10 fee for non-members to enter Holden)
Holden Arboretum, Kirtland. Meet at the visitor center.

Friday, June 22: 10AM - 3PM ($10 fee, registration required)
OSU's Waterman Farm, Columbus
Ohio Pollinator Advocate Training and PM Bee Blitz
Indoor training in the morning in the farm classroom, field time in the afternoon
Bring your lunch

Saturday, June 23: Anytime between 10AM - 5PM
Pollinator Palooza at Franklin Park Conservatory

Come to the pollinator garden throughout this free pollinator festival!

Publicado el junio 11, 2018 11:32 TARDE por drells drells | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

24 de abril de 2018

Queen bumble bee survey: how-to and ID videos posted

Mother Nature has been on our side with a cool spring, giving us just enough time to create and post a few short videos about the Queen bumble bee survey project. View these two short videos, one on nest-hunting queens and the other on queen foraging to get involved with the survey project.

http://u.osu.edu/beelab/bumble-bee-survey/

We've also posted short videos on bumble bee biology and ID in the field. Contact Jessie Lanterman at OSUBeeResearch@gmail.com with any questions or to get involved.

Publicado el abril 24, 2018 10:27 TARDE por drells drells | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

29 de marzo de 2018

Help needed: seeking queen bumble bees in Ohio!

We are looking for volunteer naturalists who are able to identify bumble bees to species to help collect data on nest-hunting and foraging queen bumble bees this spring (April - June).

This is part of a 2017-2018 statewide Ohio bumble bee survey that is being conducted by Karen Goodell's lab at Ohio State and Randy Mitchell's lab at the U of Akron, and is funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation. Our primary goal is to determine the current distribution of the endangered rusty-patched bumble bee and the yellow-banded bumble bee, a species of concern. Secondarily, this survey will gives us the opportunity to learn more about the distribution and habitat use of common species as well.

Volunteers in Ohio will collect data and report on:
(1) information on nest-hunting bumble bee queens
(2) timed 15-min observations of patches of flowers where queens forage

Find details and data collection forms here: http://u.osu.edu/beelab/bumble-bee-survey/

To participate, contact Jessie Lanterman at OSUBeeResearch@gmail.com

We also need everyone to be on the lookout for bumble bee queens, and to submit those observations on the Ohio Bee Atlas.

Publicado el marzo 29, 2018 06:00 TARDE por drells drells | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

14 de marzo de 2018

Spring is on its way!

Even though snow is falling as I write this, spring bees and warmer days are just ahead. A goal for the Ohio Bee Altas in 2018 is to observe as many "first sightings" of bees as possible, especially queen bumble bees. This means we need you and your camera out there in March and April to observe bee activity and add your observations here. Keep in mind that honey bee activity does not play an important role to the Altas -- we know that honey bees are in every part of the state, and are active as soon as days are sunny and about 55 degrees. We're looking for the activity of those 499+ other bee species in Ohio, with a heavy focus on bumble bees queens. These large bumbles are associated with willow, cherry, serviceberry, redbud and apple flowers, among many others. Not sure what's in bloom around you? Check out the OSU Phenology Calendar: https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/gdd/ Enter your Ohio zip code to see what's in bloom and what's up next. Thanks to all for your participation!

Publicado el marzo 14, 2018 01:20 TARDE por drells drells | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

07 de julio de 2017

RESCHEDULED!! -- Bumble Blitz at Letha House Park in Medina County

Due to heavy thunderstorms the Medina County Park District has rescheduled the "Bumble Blitz" at Letha House Park for Saturday, July 29th. This event is for anyone, ages 12 and up, that would like to learn identification skills and help search for bees among the fields and forests. We will focus most of our attention on the approximate 36-acre restoration site on the east side of the property, but visitors will be free to explore the entire 160-acre site. The restoration area, completed in 2010, is comprised of wetlands surrounded by prairie buffers. Numerous wildflower species on the site provide excellent habitat for pollinators of all shapes and sizes. We hope you'll bring a camera/phone, your enthusiasm, and curiosity to hunt for bees to add to our knowledge of the species present at Letha House Park.

Letha House Park is located at: 5745 Richman Road, Spencer, OH 44275. We will meet near the shelter on the east side of Richman Road at 11am. We will be off trail in tall vegetation, so long pants tucked into boots are strongly recommended. There will be an ice cream social at the end of the survey, so please let Shelley Tender know if you plan to attend (330-239-4814).

Publicado el julio 7, 2017 07:14 TARDE por mcpd_biologist mcpd_biologist | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

27 de mayo de 2017

Photo Suggestions.

Worth repeating: Thanks for all the great photos- it is amazing what we can see from even a snapshot. The best photos will not only be well-focused close-ups with high resolution (allowing viewers to zoom in), but will show the features used in bee identification. Ideally, these will show up in a top view (showing wing venation and abdomen details) the face, and the side of the bee. The pattern of veins in the wing is especially important for the "green sweat bees" (Agapostemon, Augochlora, Augochlorella, and others). Photos of the face (front view, or side) help to tell whether its a mining bee (Andrena and relatives). A closeup of the abdomen is especially useful for some of the other sweat bees. A good view of the pollen baskets is always helpful. The same features are key for bumble bees- pay special attention to getting a clear image of the pattern of color on the abdomen for them.

Publicado el mayo 27, 2017 01:36 TARDE por rjm2 rjm2 | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

16 de mayo de 2017

Guide to bee identification now available free online!

This guide to bee genera (http://bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf) is really helpful (most of the Maryland bees covered here apply to Ohio)

Publicado el mayo 16, 2017 10:48 TARDE por rjm2 rjm2 | 2 comentarios | Deja un comentario

04 de mayo de 2017

Photo Suggestions

Thanks for all the great photos- it is amazing what we can see from even a snapshot. The best photos will not only be well-focused close-ups with high resolution (allowing viewers to zoom in), but will show the features used in bee identification. Ideally, these will show up in a top view (showing wing venation and abdomen details) the face, and the side of the bee. The pattern of veins in the wing is especially important for the "green sweat bees" (Agapostemon, Augochlora, Augochlorella, and others). Photos of the face (front view, or side) help to tell whether its a mining bee (Andrena and relatives). A closeup of the abdomen is especially useful for some of the other sweat bees. A good view of the pollen baskets is always helpful. The same features are key for bumble bees- pay special attention to getting a clear image of the pattern of color on the abdomen for them.

Publicado el mayo 4, 2017 02:42 MAÑANA por rjm2 rjm2 | 3 comentarios | Deja un comentario