INSTRUCTIONS MANUAL www.backyardbarkbeetles.org

Backyard Science with Bugs!The citizen science project Backyard Bark Beetles is seeking participants for their

research on some of the tiny, amazing animals that live in our backyards. This fun and exciting project offers a hands-on way to learn about some of the cool critters around us and participants will contribute to serious scientific research.

Why collect Bark & Ambrosia Beetles?

Because they are…

Important to the environmento Bark and ambrosia beetles are tiny wood boring insects that affect tree

and forest health. Native species are important to forest decomposition

and nutrient recycling and typically only attack dead or dying trees. BUT,

invasive species often attack live trees and can sometimes wipe out whole

populations of trees!

Economically importanto Bark and ambrosia beetles are among some of the more economically

important forest pests. Some species damage timber and landscape plants,

but they can also attack fruit and nut trees and cause agricultural problems

for farmers.

A growing threato The tiny size and wood boring habit of these animals means that they are

both easy to transport and hard to find! They are a growing problem as

invasive species and are the most commonly intercepted insect at U.S.

ports-of-entry. Once they get here, they’re very hard to get rid of, making

early detection really important.

Awesome!o These little bitty beetles can cause some big problems, but they also do

some really amazing stuff. They grow gardens of tiny mushrooms for food,

have bizarre mating habits, and can call together large gatherings using

chemical attractants called pheromones.

Why Participate?

Participants will...

Contribute to scienceo Backyard Bark Beetles provides a rare opportunity for the public to

participate in real-world scientific research! Participants will help to

advance our understanding of the tiny, hidden world of bark and ambrosia

beetles, which will help us to protect trees and forests.

Learn what lives in your back yardo Backyard Bark Beetles provides a free identification service for some of the

coolest, but least well known insects that live all around. You catch and

send in beetles, then we identify them and tell you what you caught! We

even have an interactive map on our website so you can see pictures of

the species you caught and see what others have caught too!

Have fun!o This project is great for youth groups especially. Anyone can do it! It’s

easy, inexpensive, and fun.

See www.backyardbarkbeetles.org to learn more!

This is a drawing of a bark beetle gallery.

It consists of a series of tunnels made by

a bark beetle family on the underside of

the bark as they feed and grow together.

Bark and ambrosia beetles are really

tiny, some are smaller than a sesame

seed, but when you look up close,

they look really cool! Like this...

Backyard Bark Beetles

Take Home Project

Here’s what you need:

Internet Access

to visit our website

www.backyardbarkbeetles.org

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Beetle Bottle Trap Alcohol based hand sanitizer Sturdy twine, string,

or rope

A place near trees or

shrubs to hang your trap

Zip top freezer bags A spoon A data sheet

(provided below)

A Pencil

Do Not Use a Pen

Here’s what you do:

1 2 3 4

5 6 7

Repeat

(up to 3 times total)

8

Check out the Beetle Mapto see what you caught!

Be sure to get them all!

Scoop your beetles into a zip

top freezer bag the next day. Double bag your beetles

and place in the freezer Hang your trap in the late

afternoon, add ½ cup of hand

sanitizer, and leave it overnight

Sign up for the

project online

Just rinse the trap with water

and it’s ready to be reused!

Fill out the data sheet

in pencil

Mail everything in. We will

email you once your beetles

have been identified