Bumble Boosters

Bombus pensylvanicus, a threatened North American bumble bee
Bombus pensylvanicus, a threatened North American bumble bee

As pollinators, bumble bees play critical roles in agriculture and natural ecosystems. Unfortunately, bee populations have been steadily declining. A team of entomologists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are engaging the community in their pursuit to learn more about native bumble bees.

One of the limiting factors of bumble bee success is the availability of nesting sites. Bumble bees do not make their nest. They instead choose abandoned rodent dens in which to establish a colony. Competition for these nest sites is often high, with queens killing each other for control of a natural nest site. Doug Golick, an assistant professor of entomology, is working on a project to create the ideal domicile or nest box for bees.

Dr. Golick’s team has taken a unique approach to get this project going. They turned to the community for help. Over the summer, they ran a fundraising campaign using Kickstarter, a website that provides tools to raise funds for creative projects. Individual backers donated to the cause and everyone who made a pledge will take part in the project. The amount of the contribution determines the level of involvement. For example, for pledges of $25 or more the donor’s name was added to a bumble bee next box and the donor will receive seasonal reports on the success of the nesting box. For pledges of $100 or more the donor receives a nest box and is asked to report back to Golick on the inhabitants of the box. The goal was to raise $3,300 to build 200 boxes and distribute them across the country. They surpassed their goal and they are on their way to learning more about how to design a better bumble bee domicile.

See their Kickstarter page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/847973950/bumble-boosters-designing-a-better-bumble-bee-domi

Visit the bumble booster website for more information: http://entomology.unl.edu/bumbleboosters/