Basic Information
Common name: Garden Bumblebee
Scientific name: Bombus hortorum
Three yellow stripes, white tail.
Long face and very long tongue - likes tubular flowers.
Classification
Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusCommon
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourWhite Tail
Keynotes
• Queens, workers and males all have the same colour pattern.
• Has a dark form with no yellow bands - but always has white tail.
• Has the longest tongue of any bee in the world.
Nest Information
• Underground, like old rodent nests.
• Usually 1 nest cycle per year, 2 cycles in the South.
• Lasts 3-4 months.
• Up to 150 workers.
Distribution
- Common.
- Widespread across UK.
Castes
QUEEN
March
No Photo
Lemon-yellow collar
Lemon-yellow rear band
Lemon-yellow front band
White tail
Tail:White Tail
Thorax:All Black, Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Black / White Tail, Front Band / Yellow Tail
Head:Black Head
WORKER
April
No Photo
Lemon-yellow collar.
Lemon-yellow rear band.
Lemon-yellow front band.
White tail.
Tail:White Tail
Thorax:All Black, Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Black / White Tail, Front Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head
MALE
June
No Photo
Lemon-yellow collar
Lemon-yellow rear band
Lemon-yellow front band
White tail
Tail:White Tail
Thorax:All Black, Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Black / White Tail
Head:Black Head
Flower Preferences
- Bird's-foot trefoils
- Bluebells
- Borage
- Bowle's mauve wallflower
- Comfrey
- English lavender
- Foxgloves
- Knapweed
- Red clover
- Vetches