Answering key bumble bee conservation questions by studying discovered wild nests: A <i>Bombus affinis</i> case study

Abstract The nesting ecology of wild bumble bees is not well resolved, but information learned from discovered nests can be of great conservation value. Data collected at nests on foraging patterns, caste‐specific behaviour and health (e.g., pathogens) are invaluable for understanding bumble bee behaviour and ecology, but difficult to decipher solely from foraging observations away from the nest. Post‐senescence nest excavation allows the estimation of colony size, caste numbers, documents pest incidence and provides opportunities to examine nest material for stressors (e.g., pesticides) and to use nest material for training purposes (e.g., conservation dogs). Wild nests are often found opportunistically, and there is an absence of standardised guidance on data collection. We provide an action plan to ensure the data collection is comparable across studies. This framework includes key conservation questions and methodological guidelines for both for in situ and post‐season nest data collection and is ordered by increasing complexity of data collection methods. To illustrate our framework, we provide an example with recently discovered Bombus affinis (rusty patched bumble bee) nests. Through observations at B. affinis nests, we discovered novel patterns of activity, changing activity levels over time, the timing of male and gyne production, variable timing in nest senescence, and associations of nests with past rodent activity. Although individual nest discoveries may be of limited value in forwarding conservation strategies, the aggregate collections of many similar datasets can be of critical importance for species of conservation concern.