Peter,
I think you'll find it easier than you expect. I did a trial for this a
couple of years ago and trying to make sense of clouds of bumblebees seems
daunting at first. However, once you learn to recognise the two-four most
common species (they tend to be very distinct - in my garden I have B.
terrestris/pascuorum/lapidarius which don't need any deep analysis to
separate) you can quite easily estimate numbers.
The feeding analysis records, I suspect, will be rather rough and ready -
this will still be very useful since gardens are probably becoming an ever
more important source of nectar/pollen. I was surprised to find that
Cotoneaster was the most commonly used source in my garden.
Admittedly searching for nest sites will require more attention but worth
the effort I think.
Best wishes,
Paul
> >
> This is a good idea, since we have already had four dead bees in our house
> (three in the dining room one morning). I have no idea how they get in;
our
> windows are not open and the only holes we can see are vents where the
> fireplaces once were, leading to the bottoms of the disused chimneys.
> But I am not sure I should be very good at surveying them in the garden,
and
> even less good at a wild site.
>
> Peter Pickering
>
>