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Country Life
Bumblebees are one of our most
familiar and endearing garden
insects. Hearing their distinctive
buzz in the air and spotting them
dance from flower to flower
epitomises a perfect summer’s
day. They are also vitally important
for pollinating hundreds of plant
species, including many crops that
provide our food.
Of the 27 species of bumblebee
recognised to inhabit the UK, three
are now extinct and many have
suffered considerable declines
in distribution. Our ID tips below
should give you a helping hand to
identify five of the most common
you might see in your garden.
White-tailed bumblebee
The white-tailed bumblebee is a
very common bumblebee that
emerges early in the spring and
can be seen right through to the
autumn.
It can be found in gardens,
heathland, woodland edges,
farmland & hedgerows: anywhere
there are flowers to feed on.
As the name suggests, it has
a white tail as well as a yellow
band on the thorax and on the
abdomen. The markings are
similar to other species, such as
the buff-tailed bumblebee, so look
for their bright white tail.
Tree bumblebee
The tree bumblebee is a relatively
new arrival to the UK. First
recorded here in 2001, it is slowly
spreading north throughout the
country.
It nests in cavities such as bird
nest holes in trees, bird boxes and
roof spaces. The tree bumblebee
visits a wide range of flowers,
particularly those of soft fruits
such as raspberries and bramble,
and shrubs.
Tree bumblebees have a
Photo: Buff-tailed bu mblebee by Jon Hawkins
distinctive appearance with brown/
orange hairs on the thorax, a black
abdomen and white tail.
Buff-tailed bumblebee
As the name suggests, this
bumblebee is named after the
queen’s buff-coloured ‘tail’.
This common species is attracted
to many types of flowers, though
its short tongue means it dislikes
deeper flowers.
The queen, male and workers all
have a yellow collar near the head
and another on the abdomen.
The queen and the males have an
off-white/buff colour ‘tail’ while
the workers have a white ‘tail’ with
a faint buff line separating the tail
from the rest of the abdomen.
Red-tailed bumblebee
Red-tailed bumblebees emerge in
early spring and feed on flowers
right through to the autumn. The
female red-tailed bumblebee is a
very large black bumblebee with a
big red ‘tail’ and pollen baskets on
its hind legs that are fringed with
black hairs.
Common carder bee
Common carder bees are
medium-sized with a long tongue.
They emerge in early spring and
can be seen feeding on flowers
right through to November.
The workers visit a variety of
flowers, especially legumes,
thistles, knapweeds, brambles and
comfreys.
They nest in cavities, such as
old mouse runs, in bird nests or
in moss mats in lawns. They are a
social insect and their nests may
contain up to 200 workers.
The common carder bee is
almost entirely brown and orange,
sometimes displaying darker
bands on the abdomen.
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