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How to Count

How to Count

The Great Southeast Pollinator Census is a citizen-science project anyone can join. On the count days you choose one pollinator plant, watch the insects that visit it for fifteen minutes, and upload what you see. Here is how it works.

Count in five steps

  1. Pick one favorite pollinator plant

    Choose a single plant that pollinators like to visit. If your plant is large, pick one section about two feet by two feet and watch just that area.

  2. Get your free counting tools

    Download the Counting Sheet and the Insect Counting & Identification Guide — both available in English and Spanish — and review the census pamphlet so you can recognize what you see. Links are below.

  3. Watch for 15 minutes

    On a count day, watch your plant for fifteen minutes. Count and identify every insect that lands on its flowers, and count every visit — even if you think it is the same insect coming back.

  4. Record the insects you see

    Tally what you find in the eight insect categories listed below.

  5. Upload your counts

    Bring your numbers back to this website and upload them. The upload portal opens early on August 21, 2026.

When to count

The 2026 count days are Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22, 2026. You are welcome to count on one day or both, and you can count more than once.

The eight insect categories

Counters record pollinators in eight categories, always in this order:

  1. Bumble bees
  2. Carpenter bees
  3. Honey bees
  4. Small bees
  5. Wasps
  6. Flies
  7. Butterflies / Moths
  8. Other Insects

The Insect Counting & Identification Guide shows photos and tips for telling these groups apart.

Get ready to count

Download and print:

You will find more handouts on the Resources page and classroom materials on the Educators page.

Learn more and connect

Watch the short videos and connect with other counters: