Closer Bee Observations - How To

Sometimes it is difficult to get close observations of the many interesting bees you have in your yard. The fear of being stung may prevent you from getting close enough to distinguish small details; the fear of being eaten by the giant creature looming over them to get a better look is enough to drive many bees, especially the smaller, rarer species away. And even when both human and bee can overcome their fears, bees have many very small body parts that can't be seen by the naked eye. If you are interested in having a closer look at the bees, there is an easy and painless way (for both you and the bees!) to check them out!

Procedure:

A simple insect net can be purchased at most pet stores or through biological research supply stores such as Bioquip. Two techniques work for us in netting the bees. The first is the 'Tennis Swing.' When an interesting bee lands in a flower, use your best tennis swing, scraping the top of the flower, to scoop up the bee. You must swing past the target and, at the end of the swing, use a quick circular motion to whip the end of the net around itself to keep the bee from escaping.

The second technique is called the 'Drop Technique,' and works best on low-growing flowers. When a bee lands on a flower, simply drop the net on top of the bee, holding the end of the net up. When trapped, bees will always fly up and will make they're way to the top of the net. When they get close to the top, choke off the net underneath the bee, trapping it in the top of the net.

Once the bee is netted, transfer the bee to a jar or Tupperware by sliding the jar up into the net. Hold the net tight around the edges of the jar, scooting the opening toward the bee until the bee enters the jar. Hold the net taut over the jar opening and screw on the lid over the net. Put the jar and net end into an icebox with ice for about 30 minutes. As bees are cold-blooded animals, when they are chilled they become very sluggish and will stop moving altogether after about 30 minutes without dying. You can take them out of the icebox at this time and will have about 5 minutes to look at them closely with a magnifying glass before they warm up and fly away. Don't worry! Even when they begin to move, they will be too groggy to sting. Just place them in a nearby flower and watch them wake up and fly away!

Equipment:

• Butterfly Net

• Glass jar or Tupperware with lid

• Icebox filled with ice

• Magnifying glass (e.g. for stamp collections)