Assess the quality of your pollinator habitat and get personalized recommendations to support bees and other pollinators in your area.
Maximum possible score: 230 points
About 70% of native bees nest in the ground. They need exposed soil, preferably sandy or loamy, that isn't disturbed by tilling.
Areas without mulch, grass, or dense vegetation where bees can access soil for nesting.
Sandy or loamy soils are easier for bees to excavate and provide better drainage.
Tilling can destroy underground nests. No-till gardening helps protect ground-nesting bees.
About 30% of native bees nest in cavities - hollow stems, wood tunnels, and other pre-existing holes.
Dead wood provides nesting sites for wood-nesting bees.
Examples: raspberry canes, elderberry, sumac, sunflower stalks.
Some bees nest in the dense centers of bunch grasses.
If you have nesting blocks:
Bees use visual landmarks to find their nests.
Smaller blocks help prevent disease spread.
Cleaning helps prevent parasites and disease buildup.
Bees need flowers for nectar and pollen throughout the growing season.
Native plants are especially valuable. Examples: coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, milkweed, goldenrod.
Bees forage more efficiently when flowers are grouped together.
Less mulch means more bare ground for ground-nesting bees.
A shallow dish with pebbles and fresh water provides a safe drinking spot.
If you do use pesticides, check all that apply:
Neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) are particularly harmful to bees.
Many flowering "weeds" like clover and dandelions are important food sources for bees.
This section helps us understand your observation practices. It does not affect your score.
