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Bumble bees or bumblebees - however you spell it, they are the same thing

Colonies and Nesting Behaviour

Like the honey bee, the bumble bee is eusocial creature (eusocial refers to a high degree of social organization). They live in colonies headed by a queen, and bees are assigned roles to play in the family. Unlike honey bees, however, bumbles' colonies are much smaller. The former can see hive sizes ranging from 20,000 to upwards of 100,000 members while the latter typically is comprised of between 50 to 200 bees. Also unlike the honey bee, bumbles do not over-winter. The colony will tend to perish by the end of foraging season, and only the queen remains, hibernating in the nest or possibly in another location such as a honey bee hive. In the spring, the queen will rebuild the colony.

Bumblebees tend to build rather simple nests. The queen will seek out a cavity such as the space provided by a tree stump or a hole in the ground or in a wall, and will line the space with small bits of grass and other dry, portable items.

Interesting Facts about Bumble Bees

• Bumbles can fly upwards of 10 miles per hour (16 kph)
• They can sting multiple consecutive times as their stingers are not barbed like a honey bee's
• 'Buzz pollination' or sonication, is the method by which bumbles collect pollen - they fasten themselves to a flower and generation a vibration with their bodies - the vibration is what we hear as a buzz
• They can be up to an inch in length
• They produce honey in very small quantities in order to feed their young

Increasing the Knowledge Base

University of Georgia doctoral student, Athena Anderson, is collecting data on bumblebee nesting in North America via survey. You can contribute your knowledge and observations here.

Bumble pollination and other projects abound...

• University of Delaware: lead researcher, Dr. Deborah Delaney
• The "Big Bee" Project at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in the UK
• The Bumble Bee Conservation Trust at the University of Stirling in the UK.
• The National Bumblebee Nest Survey by Rothamsted Research in the UK

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