Image above – Garden Bumblebee, Bombus Hortorum. Photo Credit Nikki Gammans (Courtesy of the Bumblee Bee Conservation Trust)

The Garden Bumblebee

So, you wish to know more about the pollinators in your area? Look no further than our Hero of the Month blogs to find all the tips and tricks you need to become pollinating powerhouses.

You need not travel far to learn more about our Hero of the Month, the Garden Bumblebee!
These fuzzy flying machines are one of the most common bee found in the United Kingdom.

Stemming from the Apidae family, the bombus hortorum is part of the ‘big six’ found in our own backyards. There are six types of bumblebee that make up around 90% of the bees in the UK

These bumblebees have the iconic picture book look, with a fluffy round body and yellow bands around the thorax and front of the abdomen. Their tails are white. They are of medium size, with the average queen ranging in at 17-20mm.

Tongue-tied

Their distinguishing features include their long face and, interestingly, their long tongues! Research suggests that due to the declining numbers within pollinators, that the bombus hortorum may be the only remaining long-tongued bumble species found in much of Europe ¹. Their tongue reaches impressive lengths of up to 12mm and is used to drink nectar from flowers.

Measuring a tongue of a bumblebee is a very important tool to finding out more regarding the species. An adult’s food is mainly sourced from the nectar collected from the flowers. By looking at the length of a bumblebee’s tongue, we can determine the flowers that species are pollinating. The nectary of a flower is located deep inside the plant, and the long tongue of a Garden Bumblebee is therefore ideal for reaching inside flowers like lavender and foxgloves! However, those with smaller tongues do have powerful bodies and can eventually work their way in, so this method of determination is merely an indicator and not entirely fool proof.

You can spot their tongues pretty easily, as they often have them sticking out as they approach their flowers.

In Need of a Shave

The bumblebee species is often described as ‘fluffy’. In the summer sun, it is easy to see the pollen stuck on their hair glimmering in the light. Yet, it is the Garden Bumblebee that takes the prize when it comes to grooming needs. The male bees have distinctive black facial hair all around their face! This is different to the similar species of the Heath and the Ruderal Bumblebees, who have shorter faces and neater hair, accordingly.

Spring Cleaning

The life span of the Garden Bumblebee is one year, meaning that the nest must generate annually.

The nests regenerate once a year with queens emerging from hibernation in the early spring and throughout the early summer, making them some of the first species of bumblebee to appear each year. They are a great indicator of the changing seasons! The male and new female bees continue to work until mid-autumn, with flight paths tracked until mid-October if the weather remains preferable.

Happy Families

Their nest is comprised of around 100 worker bees in each colony. Whilst this may sound like a nest that is buzzing with activity, this is actually a pretty medium size of colony! Interestingly, their nests are usually found underground, with the colony recycling old burrows and deserted homes of larger rodents. There, they can build up their nests filled with dried grass and other woodland debris.

Despite being underground, they are still rather shallow, going down to approximately 50cm. They are found under cover of trees, leaves, or other dried grass to protect their nests from destruction – so watch where you are walking!

Woodland Creatures

As their name suggests, these are rural creatures that prefer tubular flowers to pollinate. Yet, your garden may not be the best place to find these creatures. Wildflowers such as foxgloves and cowslip are preferable, with surveys also suggesting a preference for red clover flowers.

Moreover, it is far easier for a queen to find an underground nest with suitable cover on floors filled with bark, leaves, and dried grass. Therefore, to find these fluffy flying machines, an early morning walk through woodlands is recommended.

That is not to say that they will not occupy your garden. If you find multiple Garden Bumblebees in your area, then their nest site may be underneath a shed, an old mouse nest, or even an old bird box!

Parasite Bees

The life of a Garden Bumblebee is not without threat. The Cuckoo Bee, Bombus Barbutellus, is considered a parasite for them. These smaller creatures do not have a queen, nor do they collect pollen to feed their offspring. Instead, they infiltrate the nests of species such as the Garden Bumblebee and slowly take over their host’s nest!

Luckily this species is not considered under specific threat, however there are still serious threats to their environment and the overall bee population. As with many pollinators, the removal of suitable pollinating spaces and the use of harmful pesticides is threatening their ability to feed their colonies and survive long hibernations.

Modern recordings of this species date back to the 1800s, with the Natural History Society of Northumbria citing the Garden Bumblebee in the North East from as early as 1853. It is hopeful that these fuzzy delights will continue to fly free around our wild areas.

To do your part in protecting pollinators such as the Garden Bumblebee, then make sure to check out Pollinating London Together.

¹ Goulson, D., Kaden, J.C., Lepais, O. et al., 2011