Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
A bumblebee is any of over 250 species in the genus Bombus, part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera are known from fossils.
Size and Weight:
The size of a bumblebee varies depending on the species and can vary even within species. Queen bees tend to be larger than male bees and worker bees. For example, the largest British species is the Bombus terrestris, with the queens up to 0.9 inches long, males up to 0.6 inches long, and workers between 0.4 to 0.7 inches long. The Bombus dahlbomii of Chile is the largest bumblebee species in the world, measuring up to about 1.6 inches long.
ppearance:
Bumblebees have round bodies covered in soft hair called ‘pile’, making them appear and feel fuzzy. They have aposematic, or warning, coloration, often consisting of contrasting bands of color. They are typically black and yellow but some species are orange or red. Their color patterns help to distinguish different species.
Diet:
Bumblebees feed on nectar and pollen. They use their long, hairy tongues to lap up the liquid. Bumblebees gather nectar to add to the stores in the nest, and pollen to feed their young.
Habitat:
Bumblebees are often found in temperate climates at higher latitudes and altitudes than other bees. However, there are a few lowland tropical species that exist. A few species can be found in very cold climates where other bees might not be found. For example, the Bombus polaris can be found in the northern Ellesmere Island in the high Arctic.
In comparison to their honeybee cousins, bumblebees are larger, broader and stouter-bodied than honeybees. While honeybees have short tongues to pollinate open flowers, some bumblebee species have long tongues to collect nectar from flowers that are closed into a tube. Bumblebees have fewer stripes or none at all, and usually have part of the body covered in black fur. Meanwhile, honeybees have many stripes including several grey stripes on the abdomen.
Geography:
They are found primarily in higher altitudes or latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are also found in South America, where a few lowland tropical species have been identified. European bumblebees have also been introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania.
Social Structure:
Bumblebees are social creatures. Their nest size depends on the species of bumblebee. On average, bumblebee colonies range from 50 to 400 individuals, with some as small as 20 individuals and others as large as 1700 individuals. Their nests are small in comparison to honeybees, which hold about 50,000 bees. The colony includes the queen bee, the worker bee and male bees.
Many species nest underground to avoid direct sunlight that could result in overheating, while other species make nests above ground in thick grass or in holes in trees. The nest is often not organized with the cells clustered together untidily. Nests in temperate regions last only for a single season and do not survive the winter.
Lifespan:
The worker’s lifespan can range from a couple of weeks to a month. On average, they usually live for about 28 days. Meanwhile, the queen can live longer, typically she lives until her colony dies out, which can last a few months.
Threats:
Bumblebees face many threats, such as habitat loss, disease, pesticide use and climate change.
onservation Status:
Bumblebee species are declining in Europe, North America and Asia. While many species are listed as “Least Concern” by IUCN’s Red List, many more are listed as “Near Threatened,” “Vulnerable” or “Critically Endangered.”
Conservation Efforts:
There is a growing number of bumblebee conservation groups. While bumblebee conservation is still in the early stages in many parts of the world, bumblebee’s importance as pollinators for many crops has increased conservation work. Currently, efforts are underway for managing farmland better and more sustainably for bee populations.
A bumblebee is any of over 250 species in the genus Bombus, part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera are known from fossils.
Size and Weight:
The size of a bumblebee varies depending on the species and can vary even within species. Queen bees tend to be larger than male bees and worker bees. For example, the largest British species is the Bombus terrestris, with the queens up to 0.9 inches long, males up to 0.6 inches long, and workers between 0.4 to 0.7 inches long. The Bombus dahlbomii of Chile is the largest bumblebee species in the world, measuring up to about 1.6 inches long.
ppearance:
Bumblebees have round bodies covered in soft hair called ‘pile’, making them appear and feel fuzzy. They have aposematic, or warning, coloration, often consisting of contrasting bands of color. They are typically black and yellow but some species are orange or red. Their color patterns help to distinguish different species.
Diet:
Bumblebees feed on nectar and pollen. They use their long, hairy tongues to lap up the liquid. Bumblebees gather nectar to add to the stores in the nest, and pollen to feed their young.
Habitat:
Bumblebees are often found in temperate climates at higher latitudes and altitudes than other bees. However, there are a few lowland tropical species that exist. A few species can be found in very cold climates where other bees might not be found. For example, the Bombus polaris can be found in the northern Ellesmere Island in the high Arctic.
In comparison to their honeybee cousins, bumblebees are larger, broader and stouter-bodied than honeybees. While honeybees have short tongues to pollinate open flowers, some bumblebee species have long tongues to collect nectar from flowers that are closed into a tube. Bumblebees have fewer stripes or none at all, and usually have part of the body covered in black fur. Meanwhile, honeybees have many stripes including several grey stripes on the abdomen.
Geography:
They are found primarily in higher altitudes or latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are also found in South America, where a few lowland tropical species have been identified. European bumblebees have also been introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania.
Social Structure:
Bumblebees are social creatures. Their nest size depends on the species of bumblebee. On average, bumblebee colonies range from 50 to 400 individuals, with some as small as 20 individuals and others as large as 1700 individuals. Their nests are small in comparison to honeybees, which hold about 50,000 bees. The colony includes the queen bee, the worker bee and male bees.
Many species nest underground to avoid direct sunlight that could result in overheating, while other species make nests above ground in thick grass or in holes in trees. The nest is often not organized with the cells clustered together untidily. Nests in temperate regions last only for a single season and do not survive the winter.
Lifespan:
The worker’s lifespan can range from a couple of weeks to a month. On average, they usually live for about 28 days. Meanwhile, the queen can live longer, typically she lives until her colony dies out, which can last a few months.
Threats:
Bumblebees face many threats, such as habitat loss, disease, pesticide use and climate change.
onservation Status:
Bumblebee species are declining in Europe, North America and Asia. While many species are listed as “Least Concern” by IUCN’s Red List, many more are listed as “Near Threatened,” “Vulnerable” or “Critically Endangered.”
Conservation Efforts:
There is a growing number of bumblebee conservation groups. While bumblebee conservation is still in the early stages in many parts of the world, bumblebee’s importance as pollinators for many crops has increased conservation work. Currently, efforts are underway for managing farmland better and more sustainably for bee populations.
