Module 3

Activity E: Sugar Rush: How Sweet Does Nectar Need to Be?

Participants will:

• Conduct an experiment to discover which insects are attracted to a light, medium, or heavy sugar solution.
• Observe and record information.
• Think critically about their observations.
• Develop hypotheses about the food preferences of insects.

Rocks should be large enough to provide
a dry landing place for pollinators.

Materials needed:

• 3 clear plastic bowls, either clear or of the same color
• Mesh with 1 mm size holes or several small rocks
• If bowls are clear, food coloring in one color attractive to bees
• Water, spring or filtered
• Sugar
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Group Observation Record Sheet created in Module 1
• Large paper pad and markers
• Science Experiment Record Sheet

Getting ready:

• Assemble materials
• Display Group Observation Record Sheet
• Make copies of Science Experiment Record Sheets, 1/participant

Suggested groupings:

Whole group for steps 1 and 2
Break into 3 groups for step 3

Action:

Review
Briefly discuss the primary reason insects are attracted to flowers.

How do insects know that nectar is available in a flower?

How do flowers signal that nectar is no longer available?

Exploration & Concept Introduction:

1. Introduce activity: Have you ever wondered why insects prefer the nectar from some flowers more than other flowers? What might be some possible reasons? Discuss and record all answers.



2. We can gather information that will help us answer these questions by doing an experiment.



3. Prepare experiment. Label dishes 1, 2, and 3 and prepare sugar solutions:
   
   — In dish 1 make a sugar solution of 1 part sugar/2 parts water;
   — dish 2, 1 part sugar/3 parts water;
   — dish 3, 1 part sugar/4 parts water.
   
   Stir to dissolve.
   
   Place the dishes outside next to some plants in full sun.



4. Distribute a Science Experiment Record Sheet to each participant and explain what to do:
   
   Two times a week for the next 3 weeks, quietly watch the dishes and record what you see, answering the questions on your observation sheet:
   
   — which dish attracts the most insects?
   — what types of insects are attracted to Dish 1, Dish 2, and Dish 3?
   
   Be sure to fill in the time of your observation, how long you observed and the weather conditions (cloudy, sunny, raining, windy, calm, cool, warm, really hot).

Concept development:

5. As a group compare observations and answer the following questions. Record answers on a large sheet of paper.

— Which dish attracted the most insects?
— How much dissolved sugar was in this dish?
— Why do you think this dish is so attractive?
— What types of insects does each dish attract?
— Why are certain types of insects attracted to a certain dish?
— Is there any sugar water left in any of the dishes?

Have participants develop statements about their conclusions
Compare their conclusions with their original suppositions from step 1.

Adapted from Vanishing Pollinators, a publication of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

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