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Common carder bee

Bombus pascuorum

Basic Information

Common name: Common carder bee
Scientific name: Bombus pascuorum

Fluffy, ginger bee - can look quite dark.

Found across UK - common in gardens.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusCommon
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourGinger Tail

Keynotes

  • Fluffy and ginger with black hairs

  • Patterns vary; can be quite dark

  • Can resemble Tree bumblebees but never has white tail

  • Earliest carder bee seen in Spring

  • Covers nest with grass and moss

Nest Information

  • Surface: in tall grass, under hedges, wood edges

  • 1 or 2 cycles per year

  • March - November

  • Medium: around 100 - 150 workers

Distribution

  • Across the UK

  • Most common, widespread British bumblebee

  • Habitat: gardens, parks, farmland, woodland edges, meadows

Castes

QUEEN

March
QUEEN diagram
No Photo

  1. Ginger

  2. Ginger

  3. Ginger, black

  4. Ginger

Tail:Ginger/Yellow tail
Thorax:All Ginger
Abdomen:All Yellow/Ginger, Multiple ginger bands
Head:Ginger Head

WORKER

April
WORKER diagram
No Photo

  1. Ginger

  2. Ginger

  3. Ginger, black

  4. Ginger

Tail:Ginger/Yellow tail
Thorax:All Ginger
Abdomen:All Yellow/Ginger, Multiple ginger bands
Head:Ginger Head

MALE

June
MALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Ginger

  2. Ginger

  3. Ginger, black

  4. Ginger

Tail:Ginger/Yellow tail
Thorax:All Ginger
Abdomen:All Yellow/Ginger
Head:Ginger Head

Flower Preferences

Long tongue. Really likes dead-nettles!

  • Asters

  • Colt's-foot

  • Comfrey

  • Dandelion

  • Gorse

  • Sallows

  • Selfheal

  • Thistles

  • Ivy

🌼

Black horehound

🌼

Dead-nettle

🌼

Foxgloves