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Common carder bee

Bombus pascuorum

Basic Information

Common name: Common carder bee
Scientific name: Bombus pascuorum

Fluffy, ginger bee - abdomen can look quite dark.

Found across the UK in most habitats - common in gardens.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusCommon
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourGinger Tail

Keynotes

  • Fluffy and ginger - patterns vary and can be quite dark

  • Look like Brown-banded carder and Moss carder but with black hairs and are much more common

  • Common carder queens are the earliest carder bees to be seen in Spring

  • Found in wide range of habitats including gardens, parks, meadows

Nest Information

  • Ground surface, in tall grass, under hedges, woodland edges

  • Covers nest with moss and grass

  • 1 or 2 nest cycles per year

  • March - November

  • Medium: around 100 - 150 workers

Distribution

  • Found all across the UK

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

Castes

QUEEN

March
QUEEN diagram
No Photo

  1. Ginger face

  2. All ginger

  3. Ginger with black hairs

  4. Ginger tail

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 face

  2. All ginger

  3. Ginger with black hairs

  4. Ginger tail

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 face

  2. All ginger

  3. Ginger with black hairs

  4. Ginger tail

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

Flower Preferences

Long tongue. Really likes dead-nettles!

  • Black horehound

  • Colt's-foot

  • Dandelion

  • Gorse

  • Michaelmas daisies

  • Selfheal

  • Thistles

  • Iceplant

  • Ivy

🌼

Comfrey

🌼

Dead-nettle

🌼

Foxgloves