ardening
BumblebeLEeBEG
ES
IDENTIFYING BUMB
Up to 25 species of bumblebee live in the UK. Many are only found in habitats such as
moorland or in coastal areas; only half a dozen or so species are widespread and visit gardens.
Bumblebees are quite different from honey bees and solitary bees, they live in small colonies of up to 400 and with their densely furry
bodies can be active even in dull conditions. In the last 50 years, two bumblebee species are known to have become extinct in this
country and many more have suffered a marked decline.
Flight
Flying takes up a lot of energy - a third of a bumblebee’s daily energy intake is spent foraging for more nectar and pollen. By
repeatedly ’shivering’ their muscles and with their furry ’woolly jumper’-like bodies, bumblebees can stay warm and active on cool
overcast days.
A Stinging Comment
The sting is a modified ovipositor (egg laying tube) and so present only in the female bumblebees. They very rarely sting, even when
handled, but may do so if the entrance to their nest is obstructed. Unlike honey bees, stinging is not fatal for a bumblebee - she can
fly away and sting again another day.
A Year In The Life Of A Bumblebee Colony
1. Early spring - Solitary queen bees emerge from hibernation.
These are the large bumblebees seen during February - March.
2. Queen bees look for a likely nest site such as an old mouse
nest or grassy tussock for ground nesting species, familiarising
herself with the area.
3. In the nest the queen lays her eggs. The first workers
emerge, more eggs are laid and hatch. Some eggs develop into
new queen bumblebees.
4. The first unfertilised eggs are laid and these develop into
male bumblebees.
5. New queens and males leave the nest. Males patrol a
chosen ’patch’, leaving scent marks and looking for queens to
mate with.
6. Autumn - Original queen bee, workers and males die. New
queens, with their fertilised eggs go into hibernation.
dens
Common Bumblebees Likely To Visit Gar
Bumblebee Type
Description
Bumblebee Type
Description
Bombus terrestris
Buff-tailed
Colour: Variable white-yellow
Large
Flies: almost all year
Bombus lapidarius
Red-tailed
Colour: All black body
Large
Flies: March-Oct
Bombus hortorum
White-tailed
Colour: yellow with extra stripe
on abdomen
Medium size
Flies: May-Oct
Bombus pratorum
Orange red tail
Colour: Yellow striped
Small
Flies: Apr-Aug
Bombus lucorum
White-tailed
Colour: yellow with no extra
stripe
Medium size
Flies: Apr-Sep
Bombus pascuorum
Brown ‘Carder Bee’
Colour: usually golden brown,
no stripes
Small
Flies: Jun-Oct
bee mimic hoverflies.
the UK, including bee flies, cuckoo bees and
Be aware that there are several bee mimics in
Bumblebee Gardening
ATTRACTING BUMBLEBEES TO YOUR GARDEN
Early and late flowers, together with some bee favourites, will give a good supply of nectar. By planting in
dense drifts bees learn to revisit, rewarding the flowers. Some bees prefer certain flower types.
terrestris and Bombus lucorum bees prefer short
•openBombus
flowers e.g white clover and common comfrey. Both bees
Plants Popular With Bumblebees
are hole biting ‘nectar robbers’ (see below). Bombus terrestris
rarely visit pendulous flowers as its large size prevents it from
doing so.
Betony
Bugle
Green alkanet
Common comfrey
White & red clover
Ox-eye daisy
Bombus hortorum bees have long tongues so they can visit
flowers with petals that form long tubes, such as Honeysuckle,
Delphiniums and Catmint.
•
Creeping thistle
Foxglove
Common knapweed
Verbascum sp.
Borage
Viper’s-bugloss
Chives
Rosemary
White dead-nettle
•
Bombus pratorum bees are small and agile, with a medium
•length
tongue that allow it to probe a range of flower depths. It
Nasturium sp.
Common toadflax
Poached egg plant
Catmint
Curry plant
Common figwort
Majoram
Meadow cranes-bill
Snapdragon
Sage and Mints
Hedge woundwort
Bombus lapidarius bees are another large bee which like to
stand on flowers with ‘platforms’ e.g members of the daisy family.
can also visit upside down and drooping flowers such as comfrey
and bugloss.
Bombus pascuorum bees are long tongued, ideal for tubed
•flowers
such as white dead-nettle, but also visit a wide variety of
flowers. Male bees seem to visit composite daisy-like flowers like
Marsh thistle more than females.
Lavender
Early Flowers
Bluebell
primrose
Dandelion
White-dead-nettle
Aubrieta sp.
Wallflower sp.
Hazel
Flowering currant
Field forget-me-not
Late Flowers
Bumblebee
Jon Hawkins
Michaelmas daisy
Common ivy
Sedum
Lavender
Escallonia sp.
Echinacea sp.
Ceanothus sp.
Red valerian
Mahonia sp.
Feedin g bu mblebee
Nesting material
Chicken wire cradle
Making A Bumblebee Nest
Slate/tile
your
Bumblebees like to nest in warm sheltered places, so site
side.
d
leewar
the
on
ce
entran
nest out of the wind, with the
Marker
Drainage holes
Soil surface
Entrance
Materials:
• Flowerpot (greater than 20cm diameter).
or pipe.
• Tube
Slate/t
• Chickeile.n wire.
• Dry moss/felt/small animal bedding.
•
in the
1. Pierce the pipe to create drainage holes, then bury it
d.
ground, leaving both ends expose
nesting
2. Create a cradle out of chicken wire and cover it with
pipe.
of
ce
entran
one
to
next
material. Place
g the
3. Sink the upturned flower pot into the ground, coverin
nesting material and entrance.
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