Sweet Sight: Can changing a flower's nectar and color affect the pollinators lured to the flower?
In this experiment, you will determine if you can attract a certain type of pollinator based on the color and sugar-concentration of nectar. You can measure the results by noting the numbers and types of pollinators. Among the animals to look out for are ants, butterflies, bees, birds, and spiders. You will first apply a constant nectar content to three colors: yellow, blue, and white. After finding one color that attracts the most pollinators, you will then vary the nectar by placing an artificial nectar on the color.
Conducting a control experiment will help you isolate each variable and measure the changes in the dependent variable. Only one variable will change between the control and your experiment. After determining the color that attracts the most of a certain type of pollinator, your control will change the concentration of nectar. For the control in this part of the experiment, you will use plain water instead of nectar. At the end of the experiment you can compare the experimental data to the control data.
What Are the Variables
Variables are anything that might affect the results of an experiment. Here are the main variables in this experiment:
- the shape of the bowl/cup
- the environment the cup is placed
- the weather conditions
- the time of observations
- the concentration of nectar
- the color of the flower
Level of Difficulty
Moderate.
Materials Needed
- 3 cups sugar
- outside area with a high ledge area
- 2 nice days
- 6 cups water
- six clear plastic cups
- swatches of blue, yellow, and white felt: enough to fit in the plastic cups
- colored felt
- small rocks
- stirring spoon
- measuring cup
- marking pen
Approximate Budget
- $5
Timetable
1 hour for experiment setup; 1 hour each day for 2 days.
How to Experiment Safely
The artificial nectar should attract bees and other insects. Make sure to stand at least several feet away when making your observations. Do not disturb the bees or insects. Have an adult present when you handle the boiling water.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Day 1: Cut a swatch of the colored felts and scrunch each one into a clear cup. Place a small stone in the felt to weigh it down.
- Set each of the cups in the same general area outside on a high ledge, at roughly 2 feet apart from one another. Choose two times of day to observe the colored cups for a 30-minute period each time: one time in the morning and one in the afternoon or early evening. You will need to observe at the same two times the following day. For each color, note the number and type of pollinators that visit the cup.
- Day 2: Vary the nectar concentration. Use your data from the previous day to select one of the colors that attracted the most pollinators. Place a swatch of the selected color into each of three clear plastic cups.
- Label the cups according to the ratio of sugar to water: "1:1," "1:4," and "Control." The Control will be plain water.
- Boil the 6 cups of water. Pour 2 cups of sugar into a glass bowl labeled 1:1. Add 2 cups of boiled water and stir until all sugar has dissolved. Allow the artificial nectar to cool.
- Pour ½ cup sugar into a glass bowl labeled 1:4. Add 2 cups of boiled water and stir until all sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
- Fill the 1:1 cup and the 1:4 cup with their designated artificial nectar. Fill the Control cup with 2 cups of cooled boiled water without any sugar. Place the cups outside on a ledge.
- At the same two times of day as the previous day, observe the flowers for 30-minute periods and note the type and number of visitors to each cup.
Summary of Results
Examine your results for both the color and concentration. Graph the major pollinators number of visits by the color. Create another graph of the major pollinators number of visits by the nectar concentration. Could you attract one specific pollinator by altering the nectar and color? Conduct some research and determine what types of flowers this pollinator(s) visits the most frequently. How do the characteristics of these flowers compare to your experimental results?
Troubleshooter's Guide
Here are some problems that may arise during this project, some possible causes, and ways to remedy the problems.
Problem: There were too few pollinators to draw any conclusions.
Possible cause: Vary the time of day you are making your observations. You may also want to change the location to one with more plant growth and surrounding flowers.