![]() Males grow to 1.9cm in length with large eyes. Workers grow to around one centimeter in length and are similar in color, but they have a brown/yellow band that goes around their abdomen. They have a yellow thorax and a yellow and black banded abdomen with a black posterior and legs. Queens grow to 23mm in body length with a black face and head with some yellow hairs. ![]() Brown-belted Bumble Bee Brown-belted Bumble Beeīrown-belted Bumble Bees (Bombus griseocollis) are native to the United States. They also make nests in human objects, such as barns and buckets. Some nests may be found in burrows, old bird nests, rodent burrows, and crevices. They use hay or long grass to create sheltered nests, just above the ground. Nests are mostly found in long grass or underground. These bees forage up to 1.5 miles from the nest. ![]() Large queens grow to 26mm in body length with workers at 19mm in body length. There are short hairs on their malar spaces. These bees have a yellow thoracic dorsum, black and white alternative tergal segments, and a black posterior. These bees live and nest in open farmlands and fields, feeding on food plants, including clovers and sunflowers. The population has dropped by ninety percent in the past twenty years. The American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) is a threatened species, native to North America. Humans have introduced this bee throughout the world, except Antarctica. They are domesticated insects, maintained by beekeepers for their honey production and pollination activities. A single colony can be home to tens of thousands of bees. They create colonies with a single fertile female, non-reproductive females, and some males. The Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) is a common honey bee found throughout the world. Queens and workers are both black with a yellow thorax and first abdominal segment. Queens grow to 23mm with workers growing to 18mm in body length. Queens and workers are similar in color and structure. Their hair is short, their heads are medium size and their bodies are long and rectangular. They are encountered in the country, suburban and urban areas. The Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens) is often encountered in eastern North America in temperate forest areas. Common Eastern Bumble Bee Common Eastern Bumble Bee Females have wider heads and males have longer bodies. Their glossy bodies are mostly black with some purple tints. These bees are a similar size to a bumblebee. Unlike other bees, dominant females are responsible for reproduction, foraging, and nest construction, while subordinates are responsible for guarding the nest. Do not attempt to handle or touch any stinging insects and keep a safe distance from hives and nests.The Eastern Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa virginica) nest in different woods, eating pollen and nectar. Be sure to observe bumblebees from a safe distance and under the supervision of a grownup, like a parent or teacher. Male bumblebees have 13 segments on the antennae while female bumblebees have 12.Įntomologist Note: Bumblebees have an important job to do when out and about in nature. Male bumblebees do not have a pollen basket, making it easier to tell a female bumblebee from her male colony members. Pollen Baskets:įemale bumblebees have pollen baskets on their legs that allow them to store pollen as they travel from flower to flower. They all have a thick, yellow collar around their heads, yellow stripes on their black bodies, and a white tail. Queen bumblebees look very similar to worker bees. A queen bumblebee is noticeably larger than her worker bees. The size of a bumblebee queen ranges between 20 and 33 mm or about the size of a quarter. If you’re not sure what a queen bee looks like, it can be hard to distinguish her from the rest of her colony. Every spring, the queen comes out of her long hibernation to feed and build her colony. Bumblebee queens are responsible for finding a new nest for her workers and creating new bees to populate the colony. Bees have very important jobs, and that job is regulated by a colony’s queen. Have you ever heard buzzing noises when playing outside near flowers? Chances are, you probably heard bumblebees collecting pollen.
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