Bees are everywhere — more than 20,000 types of bees exist worldwide, with nearly 4,000 of them native to North America. You may see them in public settings, such as during picnics in pastures, at the park with your kids, or while hiking along trails.
Many people fear bees, and with good reason. Bees have stingers, and if you get too close to them, they may sting you. Bee stings can be quite painful. And sometimes, they can leave behind the stingers, which you have to remove. Even worse, about 2 million people in the U.S. are allergic to bee stings.
Although many people consider them as pests, bees are very important for the environment. One type of bee, the bumblebee, is extremely vital to plants, agriculture, and our environment as a whole. Bumblebees aren't only good at pollinating flowers, they also work to pollinate crops and help them thrive.
What Are Bumblebees?
Bumblebees are a type of flying insect in the bee family. They're of the genus Bombus,which is part of the superfamilyApoidea. It includes two lineages, the "sphecoid" wasps and the bees.
Bumblebees are commonly found in northern temperate areas, such as throughout the U.S. and Canada. However, some bumblebee species are native to other regions, such as South America and New Zealand.
Bumblebees are social creatures that prefer living in colonies rather than living alone. They craft hives that offer them shelter from weather conditions and predators, allowing them a safe place to raise their offspring. Their hives are usually built in underground shelters, such as in an abandoned mouse house or burrow. Their colonies can reach anywhere from 50 to 500 bees.
Bumblebee colonies usually have a matured queen bee and several worker bees. During the colder months, the queens hibernate and the worker bees die. Once spring arrives, the queens emerge and begin laying eggs to begin new colonies.
Bumblebees can beat their wings more than 130 times per second. This allows them to extract pollen from flowers in a process known as buzz pollination.
Unfortunately, many bumblebee species are declining and at risk of becoming endangered. Threats to bumblebee populations include habitat loss, diseases, climate change, pesticides, and competition from honeybees. Several species, such as the western bumblebee, the yellow-banded bumblebee, and Franklin's bumblebee have seemingly vanished from their ranges and are on the endangered species list.
What do bumblebees look like?
Bumblebees are usually black and yellow and have large, furry bodies. Sometimes, they have reddish hues on their bodies. Like most insects, a bumblebee's body comprises three main areas:
- The abdomen contains the digestive and reproductive tracts and the stinger.
- The head is home to the antennae, mouthparts, and eyes.
- The thorax holds the wings, wing muscles, and legs.
Bumblebees come in various sizes and color patterns, though their bodies are typically stout. Because they come in so many variations, identifying bumblebees can be difficult.
What do bumblebees eat?
Bumblebees mainly eat pollen and nectar found in various flowers. These flowers provide bumblebees with all the necessary nutrients to keep them healthy and thriving. Flowers also give bumblebees access to protein and carbohydrates, which contribute to their growth and energy.
What do bumblebees do?
Bumblebees are important pollinators of wildflowers and crops. They gather and spread pollen and nectar among the plants, allowing them to grow. But they also help pollinate through their buzzing, or sonicating. Some crops, including blueberries, chili peppers, and tomatoes, rely on this vibration to release pollen. The bumblebees use their wings to create the buzzing, which sends vibrations down the plants' anther (the part that contains the pollen). The vibration shakes the pollen loose so the bumblebees can gather it.
Do bumblebees make honey?
Bumblebees do make honey, but not in the large amounts that honey bees do. So the small amounts aren't worth harvesting for commercial sale.
Are Bumblebees Dangerous?
In general, bumblebees are not dangerous insects, and they usually won't bother you unless they're provoked.
Do bumblebees have stingers?
Yes, but only female and queen bumblebees. That's because like all female bees, bumblebees have what's called an ovipositor. It's a tube-like structure used for laying eggs, but they also use it to sting.
When a bumblebee stings, they inject venom into your body through the stinger. Their stingers don't have barbs, which means the stinger doesn't tear away from the bumblebee, and they can sting you repeatedly. Bumblebee stings usually don't cause too much pain or an allergic reaction, but if you're stung and are experiencing an allergic reaction, you should seek medical attention right away.
Bumblebee Prevention
Because bumblebees are a vital part of our ecosystem, you should leave them be. Bumblebees are harmless insects that are good for nature. However, if you want to prevent bumblebees from making a home on your property, avoid planting nectar- and pollen-producing flowers that attract bumblebees.
How to get rid of bumblebees
Bumblebees sometimes build nests in inconvenient spots, although it's rare. If you or someone you know walks past the nest, you can disturb the bees and may risk getting stung. So, it's common for people to want to remove bumblebees from their property or at least move them to another location. If you do find a nest, it's best to avoid coming too close to it.
One method to safely remove bumblebees is to call a professional to do it for you. They'll have the knowledge, experience, and tools to relocate your bumblebee nest. Another method is to simply wait. Bumblebee nests generally last only a few months and then die off. Queens leave their old nests behind and look elsewhere to build new ones.
How to Help Bumblebees
As bumblebees are facing threats such as habitat loss and pesticides, it’s important to help them as much as you can. If you want to help protect bumblebees, you can give them access to nectar- and pollen-producing flowers. Both adult bees and larvae will feast on these food sources.
You'll need to decide which plants are best kept in your area, depending on where you live. Native plants are always best because the bumblebees local to your area will favor them over non-native plants. Consider planting various kinds of plants that bloom in all three seasons. This will ensure that bees will have access to food all year round.
Bumblebee FAQs
How long do bumblebees live?
An entire bumblebee colony can live for up to a year. The worker bees live between four and six weeks, while males last about two weeks. The queen can live as long as a year.
Do bumble bees die when they sting?
No. Unlike honeybees, which have barbed stingers that rip from the bodies when they sting you, bumblebees' stingers don't have barbs. That means the stinger remains on the bee, and the bee survives after it stings you.
Are bumblebees friendly?
Bumblebees aren't aggressive and don't usually sting unless provoked.