Bumble Bee (Bombus sp)
There are several species of this familiar and widespread bee species throughout Britain. Adults are large with fat, hairy bodies that may be black, yellow or orange. Hairs on the legs form specialized pollen-carrying baskets. They fly slowly and make a droning noise.
Behaviour
Bumble Bees form small colonies, with some nests holding fewer than 50 individuals. They may be found within tunnels in the ground made by other animals, or in tussock-forming grasses. Bumble Bees sometimes construct a wax canopy over the top of their nest for protection and insulation.
Breeding
In the autumn, young queens mate with males and hibernate over the winter before waking up and building a nest in which she lays her eggs from the previous winter. The eggs that hatch develop into female workers, with males hatching in late summer.
Feeding
Bumble Bees eat pollen and nectar, and generally visit flowers that have suitable characteristics. When Bumble Bees arrive at a flower, they extract nectar using their long tongue. Once they have collected nectar and pollen, Bumble Bees return to the nest where it is stored for food for the whole colony.
Status
Bumble Bees are declining due to habitat destruction and pesticide use. A decline in their numbers could cause large-scale changes to the countryside, leading to inadequate pollination of plants.