Bumble Bee
Common Name
Scientific Name
Bumble Bee
Apidae
Identification:
Bumble Bees, which are commonly confused with the Carpenter Bee, have three different castes, the queen, males (drones), and working females (sterile). The size of the workers and males vary from 1/2 inch to 1 inch in length, the queen measures 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch. Bumble bees are robust in form with an overall fuzzy appearance, including the top surface of abdomen. They are broadly banded with black and yellow patterns. Both the queen and workers have a stinger, which they use to defend the nest or protect them, when they sting the stinger is rarely left behind and they do not die afterward.
Biology:
Bumble Bees like many insects are social insects, meaning they create nests with a colony. The queens are the only bees that lay eggs, when they have come out of the overwinter process in the spring they she finds a nesting site to lay their eggs which is normally a suitable subterranean cavity, surface grass clump or fiberglass insulation in a structural void. Once she has laid her 8 to 10 eggs, she collects pollen and nectar to the edges of the soon to be nest and eventually lays more eggs as well.
In 16 to 25 days, the eggs will have hatched, gone through 4 larval stages, and will be complete adult workers. These workers will build the nest and help aide the new eggs/larvae.
In late summer, the nest will contain 50 to 400 bees. Also at this time new queens and males (drones) are born in the nest, once the new queens emerge they mate, and find a new site to overwinter. The males, workers, the old queen, and any virgin queens will eventually die with the onset of cold weather.
Habits:
The areas many Bumble Bees create nests vary by location; some queens locate a small, dark cavity containing fine plant fiber, in which to nest, abandoned underground nests and burrows of mice, voles and chipmunks are also favorable sites. Other queens select a dense clump of grass on the surface or sheltered pile of grass clippings for a nest.
Once the nest has been established, the first brood is born and they become workers, the workers then take care of the next sets of eggs and larvae, and this process continues throughout the summer. In mid to late summer, reproductive males and females (soon to be queens) are born and are kept in the nest until they are sent out to mate. Nests can be detected by the presence of many males flying about the entrance. Stinging workers will respond quickly when their territory is invaded. Easily irritated, workers will aggressively pursue an intruder attempting to escape. Bumble bees are extremely important pollinators of certain kinds of clover such as red clover due to their long tongues. Favored flowers are sunflowers, thistles, nettles, roses, partridge peas and certain clovers.
