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Bumble Bee (Bombus spp.)

- Large, colorful pollinators -

Summary: These large, colorful bees are very effective pollinators in gardens. They rarely sting or cause any other harm.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)

What are bumble bees?

Bumble bees (right) are large (3/4"+), hairy, often colorful bees. They can be easily confused with carpenter bees. The best way to tell these bees apart is to look at the top of the abdomen. Bumble bees have a hairy upper abdomen while it is bare and shiny in carpenter bees.

Bumble bees live in small, social colonies where work is divided among colony members. Like other hymenoptera (wasps, bees and ants), bumble bees are able to sting intruders in defense of their nest. Bumble bees feed on pollen and plant nectar much like honey bees.

See this excellent British Museum of Natural History site for photos, maps and distribution lists for bumble bees.

misspelling: bumblebee
bumble bee
bumble bee on goldenrod; photo by David Cappaert, www.forestryimages.org
 

Bumble bees are normally very docile and won't sting unless the nest is distrubed. On occasion, however, gardeners will encounter an agitated colony. At these times simply leaving the area is usually enough to avoid stings. It is almost never necessary to remove or destroy a bumble bee colony.

Since bumble bees compete with honey bees for plant nectar and pollen, when honey bee numbers decline, such as during an outbreak of bee parasites, bumble bee numbers often increase. Bumble bees are generally beneficial and should be encouraged by gardeners.

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Identification guides, reference and gardening books, etc.

 

Mission: To provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information for solving common insect and mite problems around your home, business and landscape using least-toxic methods.

Jack DeAngelis, Ph.D.

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