Teaching Kit Materials
| Partner schools involved in Bumble Boosters receive teaching kits for use in conducting authentic research on Nebraska bumble bees. Below are tumbnail images of all the materials included in the kits, and brief explanations on the usage of each item. You can also see a larger picture of each item by clicking on the thumbnail images. |
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Bumble bee identification guides - 20 guides are included in the teaching kit. Bumble Boosters: A Guide to Identifying Nebraska Bumble Bee Species is a useful resource for helping identify Nebraska bumble bees. The guide is designed for use in both the field and lab settings. The authors recommend that you read the entire guide before using it. Steps for easy use are listed in the guide. |
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Kill Jars and Ethyl Acetate - 8 kill jars and a pint of ethyl acetate are included in the teaching kit. Each of the jars has plaster in the bottom for retaining the ethyl actetate. Kill jars can be made by pouring a 1/2 inch to an inch of plaster in the bottom of a glass jar (make sure the jar has a lid). To load the kill jar, pour a tablespoon of ethyl acetate on the plaster. The jar will need to be loaded periodically to insure its potency. |
Forceps - Forceps can be used for handling live bumble bees and to aid in the pinning of specimens. When using hard forceps regulate the amount of squeezing pressure to avoid damaging brittle specimens.
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 | Larval Forceps - 2 larval forceps are included in the kit. Larval forceps are soft forceps designed for handling soft bodied specimens. They can be used in transferring bumble bees from one location to another. Their soft design makes it more difficult to damage live or pinned specimens. |
Magnifying Lens - 4 10X hand lenses are included in the kit. A hand lens is used for
recognizing morphological features such as the supraorbital line, malar space and color banding
patterns of specimens. Due to their high magnification the range of focus is more narrow than in a dissecting scope. If you plan on using your hand lens in the field attach string to it so it may be worn around the neck. The addition of florescent string or ribbon helps reduce the chance of loss if dropped to the ground.
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Insect Pins - 100 insect pins are included in the kit. They are used in pinning specimens for a reference collection. |
Pinning Block - 2 pinning blocks are included in the kit. A pinning block is used for positioning the labels on a pinned specimen.
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Observation Blocks - 4 observation blocks are included in the kit. An observation block is used for holding pinned specimens for observation under a dissection scope. |
Collector's Block - 1 collector's block is included in the kit. A collector's block is for the storage of pins, forceps, and labels. The larger image shows its usage without much
explanation. It is important to push the pins into the foam bottom to avoid spillage if the block is overturned.
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 | Storage Boxes - 2 storage boxes are included in the kits. The storage boxes are for housing pinned specimens for a reference collection. The boxes have a foam bottom and lid. When storing specimens in a reference collection, be sure to place moth balls or napthalene in the boxes. This helps to discourage dermestid beetle larvae from damaging specimens. Be sure the napthalene or moth balls do not come in contact with the foam in the boxes. Napthalene will eat away at foam, destroying your pinning surface. |
Leaf Cutter and Mason Bee Habitats - One of each habitat is included in the kit. Detailed descriptions of their usage can be found on the sides of each habitat. Mason and leafcutter bees will begin using the habitats in early April. Mason bees pack their cells with mud while leafcutters use leaves. Don't be alarmed if you find leafcutter bees using the mason bee habitats. However, the mason bees will not use the leafcutter bee habitats. You can make
additional habitats by drilling holes into wood at the same hole diameter and depth.
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Orchard Mason Bee Nesting Habitats |
