A modular system for trapping and mass-marking bumblebees: applications for studying food choice and foraging range

摘要

Two new techniques for the study of bumblebee behavioural ecology are described.Interchangeable nest entrance modules allow (i) unimpeded bee traffic, (ii)trapping of incoming foragers for counting and removal of pollen loads; or (iii)colour marking of bees leaving the colony using dye powder. The forager trapscaptured all returning foragers while in place and 35% of them were carryingpollen loads. During the four week experiment, the percentage of mixed pollenloads decreased and the proportion of pollen loads from mass-flowering resourcesincreased. The dye dispensers automatically marked 86% of foragers as they leftthe colony (approximately 28 bees per hour), and 37% of returning bees weremarked. Different colours were used for bees in each colony, which could then beobserved in the field.