Trap-nest sampling (Megachilidae)

Knowledge graph centered on Trap-nest sampling (Megachilidae) with 76 nodes and 322 connections. Top connected: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Two-form Bumble Bee, Bumble Bees, Buff-tailed Bumble Bee.

Method synopsis

Installation and monitoring of artificial wooden nesting-blocks with multiple cavity sizes to track solitary bee nesting activity, timing, and reproductive success. Involves regular visual monitoring and offspring capture.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 22 papers using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — Wild foundress queen bumble bees make numerous, short foraging trips and exhibit frequent nest failure: Insights from trap-nesting and RFID tracking (2025), Ecology and Evolution. The protocol was originally introduced by Effects of weather and floral density on foraging activity of cavity nesting bees (<i> Osmia </i>spp.) (2019). Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Deploy nest boxes
   Placed 100 wooden nesting boxes (20×20×20cm; ½″ maple-sided Sorvikron plywood) with one 1.5cm entrance hole on the side of each box at subalpine sites. Intentionally varied nest box locations and characteristics in a factorial design including landscape types (willow, aspen, conifer, open meadow, or within 2m of a wood cabin), box location (either entirely within the landscape or within 2m of the edge), box height (ground level or tree-mounted at approximately 1.5m), nesting materials (present or absent), and RFID equipment presence.
   Quantities: 100 wooden nest boxes total, box dimensions 20×20×20cm with 1.5cm entrance holesDuration: Early spring of 2021 (around May 15) and left through fall of 2022 (around September 30)Conditions: Subalpine environment at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado
   Equipment: wooden nesting boxes, maple-sided Sorvikron plywood
2. Prepare nest box interiors
   Filled boxes with small animal bedding including aspen wood shavings, sterilized sphagnum moss, and paper bedding according to Mjelde (2020), with the exception that all cotton substrate was omitted to prevent interference with RFID tags. Some boxes were lined with materials from abandoned rodent nests found within Gothic. Added baked clay balls (1cm diameter) to half of all nest boxes as laboratory-reared queens prefer to lay eggs on these surfaces.
   Quantities: Clay balls were 1cm diameter, added to 50 boxes (half of all nest boxes)

Typical Equipment

• wooden blocks
• drill
• paper drinking straws
• pen light
• plastic vials

Output Measurements

• nesting activity onset date
• nesting duration
• reproductive success
• species identification

Papers Using This Protocol (22)

Species Studied With This Protocol

Places Where Used