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The Bee Lab

Fact Sheet 2023-3023
Cooperative Research Units Program
By: , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20233023

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Introduction 

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bee Lab is a collaborative interagency joint venture and international leader for bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) identification, survey design, quantification of bee and plant interrelations, and development and maintenance of occurrence databases. Each of these objectives supports native bee conservation by providing critical data and tools for the United States and other countries. The Bee Lab is part of the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) and located in Laurel, Maryland, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Patuxent Research Refuge. The laboratory houses scientists from the EESC, USGS’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units, and the USFWS to develop identification tools and survey design support for State, Federal, Tribal, and nongovernment organization partners. In addition to the development of identification tools, important objectives include developing keys for native and nonnative bee species and making those tools accessible to partners and the public. Among the most visible and reused products produced during the development of the tools are the detailed photographs of the bees themselves. Accurate bee identification allows for better monitoring of bee species and examination of environmental factors that may influence their populations.

Suggested Citation

Droege, S., Irwin, E., Malpass, J., and Mawdsley, J., 2023, The bee lab: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2023–3023, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20233023.

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

ISSN: 2327-6916 (print)

Table of Contents

  • Bee Collection, Monitoring, and Survey Design
  • Bee Processing, Identification, and Photography
  • Bee Identification and Occurrence Database Tools
  • Native Bees and Plants
  • What Can You Do for Native Bee Pollinator Conservation?
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title The bee lab
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 2023-3023
DOI 10.3133/fs20233023
Year Published 2023
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Cooperative Research Unit Atlanta, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Description 2 p.
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details