Bumblebee
Bombus terrestris
Quick answer
The bumblebee is a large, fuzzy, black-and-yellow bee that is one of the most important pollinators in temperate regions. It lives in small annual colonies led by a single queen, feeds on nectar and pollen, and can fly in cooler, cloudier weather than many other bees. Bumblebees are 1.5 to 2.5 cm long, and their colonies last a single season while new queens overwinter to start the next.
Bumblebee facts at a glance
| Scientific name | Bombus terrestris |
|---|---|
| Diet | Herbivore (nectar and pollen) |
| Habitat | Meadows, gardens, farmland, and woodland edges |
| Lifespan | Workers a few weeks; queens about a year |
| Length | 1.5–2.5 cm (0.6–1 in) |
| Top speed | Up to ~24 km/h (15 mph) in flight |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Apidae |
| Genus | Bombus |
Where it lives
Meadows, gardens, and farmland across the Northern Hemisphere and introduced elsewhere; key pollinators.
Colony life
Bumblebees live in small annual colonies that usually number a few dozen to a few hundred individuals, far fewer than a honey bee hive. A single queen starts the nest in spring, often underground in an old rodent burrow, and raises the first workers herself. As the season progresses, workers take over foraging and brood care while the queen focuses on laying eggs.
Diet and pollination
Bumblebees feed on nectar for energy and collect pollen as protein for their developing young. They are superb pollinators, partly because they can perform buzz pollination, vibrating their flight muscles to shake pollen loose from flowers such as tomatoes and blueberries. Their large, furry bodies pick up and carry pollen efficiently between plants.
Cold-weather flight
Unlike many insects, bumblebees can warm their flight muscles by shivering, letting them fly in cool, overcast conditions and early in the morning. This tolerance for cold allows them to thrive in temperate and even subarctic regions where other pollinators are less active. Their thick coat of hair also helps them retain heat.
Conservation
Most bumblebee species are still common, but several have declined sharply due to habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, and climate change. Because they pollinate many wild plants and crops, their decline is an ecological concern. Planting flowers that bloom across the season and reducing pesticide use help support local bumblebee populations.
Frequently asked questions about the Bumblebee
Do bumblebees make honey?
Bumblebees make only small amounts of a honey-like food to feed the colony, not the large stores that honey bees produce. Their colonies last a single season, so they do not need big reserves to survive winter.
Do bumblebees sting?
Female bumblebees can sting and, unlike honey bees, can sting more than once because their stinger is not barbed. They are not aggressive, however, and usually sting only when their nest is threatened or they are handled roughly.
What do bumblebees eat?
Bumblebees feed on nectar for energy and collect pollen as a protein source for their larvae. They visit a wide range of flowers and are important pollinators of both wild plants and crops.
How long do bumblebees live?
Worker bumblebees usually live a few weeks, while a queen can live about a year. New queens are the only members of the colony that survive the winter to start a new nest in spring.
Why can bumblebees fly in cold weather?
Bumblebees can shiver their flight muscles to warm up, allowing them to fly in cool, cloudy conditions when many other insects cannot. Their dense, furry coats also help them hold onto body heat.
Are bumblebees endangered?
Most bumblebee species are listed as Least Concern, but several have declined sharply from habitat loss, pesticides, and disease. Supporting flower-rich habitats helps protect the species that are struggling.
