Bumblebee collecting pollen from a sunflower.

Drone fertilizes bumblebee, early September, southern Ontario, Canada

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Bumble & Bumble

Bumblebees (also spelled bumble bee, also known as humblebee) are flying insects of the genus Bombus in the family Apidae. Like their relatives the honey bees, bumblebees feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young. more...

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These creatures are beneficial to humans and the plant world alike, and tend to be larger and more visibly furry than other types of bee. Most, but not all, bumblebee species are gentle. Bumblebees are social insects that are characterized by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands, a commonality among the majority of the species of Bombus; however, some species are known to have orange or even red on their bodies, or may be entirely black. Another distinguishing characteristic is the soft nature of the long, branched setae, called pile, that covers their entire body, making them appear and feel fuzzy. Queen and worker bumblebees can sting, but the sting is not barbed like that of the honey bee, so they can sting more than once.

Importance

Bumblebees are important pollinators of both crops and wildflowers.

Agricultural Use

Bumblebees are increasingly cultured for agricultural use as pollinators because they can pollinate plant species that other pollinators cannot by using a technique known as buzz pollination. For example, bumblebee colonies are often emplaced in greenhouse tomato production, because the frequency of buzzing that a bumblebee exhibits effectively pollinate tomatoes.

The agricultural use of bumblebees is limited to pollination. Because bumblebees do not overwinter the entire colony, they are not obliged to stockpile honey, and are therefore not useful as honey producers.

Endangered Species

Bumblebees are in danger in many developed countries due to habitat destruction and collateral pesticide damage. In Britain, until relatively recently, 19 species of native true bumblebee were recognised along with six species of cuckoo bumblebees (bumblebees that trick other species into looking after their young). Of these, three have already become extinct, eight are in serious decline and only six remain widespread. A decline in bumblebee numbers could cause large-scale sweeping changes to the countryside, due to inadequate pollination of certain plants. In response to this, a new organisation has recently been set up - The Bumblebee Conservation Trust aims to halt these declines through conservation and education (see links).

Life

Habitat

Bumblebees are typically found in higher latitudes that range from warm to cold climates where other bees might not be found. One reason for this is that bumblebees can regulate their body temperature, via solar radiation, internal mechanisms of "shivering" and radiative cooling from the abdomen (called heterothermy). Other bees have similar physiology, but it has been best studied in bumblebees.