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Garden bumblebee

Bombus hortorum

Basic Information

Common name: Garden bumblebee
Scientific name: Bombus hortorum

Three 'lemon' stripes, white tail.

Found in most habitats in UK.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusCommon
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourWhite Tail

Keynotes

  • Has longest tongue of any bee in the world

  • Face is long and thin

  • Collar band is thicker than rear band

  • All castes have same colour pattern

  • Dark form has no yellow bands - but always has white tail

Nest Information

  • Underground, above ground in leaf litter and covered spaces

  • 1 cycle, 2 in the South

  • Small - medium: up to 150 workers

Distribution

  • Widespread across UK

  • Habitat: common in gardens, brownfield sites and woods, also seen in meadows, scrubland, farmlands, flower-rich grasslands

Castes

QUEEN

March
QUEEN diagram
No Photo

  1. Black, long

  2. Collar, rear

  3. Front

  4. White

Tail:White Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Front Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head

WORKER

April
WORKER diagram
No Photo

  1. Black, long

  2. Collar, rear

  3. Front

  4. White

Tail:White Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Front Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head

MALE

June
MALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Black, long

  2. Collar, rear

  3. Front

  4. White

Tail:White Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Front Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head

Flower Preferences

Very long tongue. Likes tubular flowers.

  • Bowle's mauve

  • Cherries

  • Comfrey

  • Dead-nettles

  • Ground ivy

  • Honeysuckle

  • Lavender

  • Red clover

  • Thistles

🌼

Bluebells

🌼

Foxgloves

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Vetches