Bumblebees, also known as “humble bees”, are any of the 250 species of bees that belong to the Bombus genus. They are commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere, but some have been introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania. A few lowland tropical species have also been described in South America. They grow up to 0.4 to 1.6 inches, depending on the species and rank (queen, male, and worker). Bombus dahlbomii, the largest bumblebee species, is known to grow up to 1.6 inches in length. Bumblebees have a round shape covered in stripes of pile (this is the soft hair on their body that makes them look and feel fuzzy). Most species have the typical yellow and black stripes, but some others are red and orange in colour, helping us identify the species.
The bumblebee lives in a very social environment, with the average colony ranging from 50 to 400 individuals. The colony includes the queen bee, the worker bee, and male bees. The queen bee finds the nest site after emerging from hibernation during the winter. She consequently lays multiple broods of eggs and keeps them warm by creating heat with her wings. The hatched eggs grow into worker bees, with the ones born earliest caring for the others. At the end of the summer, the final generation of eggs produces queens and males for the next year’s breeding season. The colony usually dies after that (sometime in the autumn), and the new queens prepare for hibernation. Bumblebees live a few weeks to one year, depending on the species and rank. There is another type of queen called Cuckoos. These 29 species are parasites because they don’t build their own nests and cannot give birth to worker bees. Alternately, they invade other colonies by killing their queen, laying their own eggs, and coercing the workers to feed her and care for her young. After her young leave the colony to mate, she also leaves in search of more nests to usurp. She also has the ability to feed herself directly from plants.
What makes humble bees so significant is the fact that they are among the most important pollinators in the world! They are marvellous at spreading pollen for wild and agricultural plants alike. Pollination takes place over the course of early spring through late autumn. Bumblebees use their long, hairy tongues to lap up the liquid, or in some cases where the pollen is difficult to access, the bees shake the pollen out using their unique vibration pattern and their bodies. They do not make honey, but they need the nectar and pollen for stores in the nest and to feed themselves and their young. Unfortunately, bumblebees face many threats, including habitat loss, disease, pesticide use, and climate change. Conservation efforts, such as eliminating pesticides and protecting nesting grounds, must be significantly increased as multiple bumblebee species are critically endangered. A reduced bee population results in reduced pollen spread, so there is reduced fertilisation of plants, resulting in reduced food for all consumers alike—in short, if we don’t do anything, the entire food chain will collapse!
