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Bumble Bee (Bombus)

Photo by Kristine Tanne

Bumble bees are a type of bee and belong to the group of insects that are essential pollinators for several types of habitats. They are our best pollinators, visiting all kinds of flowers and pollinating every flower they encounter (with a few exceptions) [1]. In addition, pollen sticks to their fur, and some plants adapt the pollination process for bumble bees to pollinate them [2].

Many insects are inactive when temperatures are low, but bumble bees can increase their body temperature by shivering. This reaction allows them to fly in cooler weather, even light rain. In addition, they are more efficient pollinators in greenhouses than honey bees are [3].

Important Functions

● Pollination

● Indicators for climate change / state of the environment / state of nature

● Food for other animals

Threat

● Monocultural agricultural landscape (Some species are bound to the agricultural landscape)

● Reduction of biodiversity

● Climate Change

Common Species

Photo by Jamie Street

There are about 250 species of the bumble bee family worldwide, around 70 species in Europe, and in Sweden, there are 38 resident bumble bee species [4, 5].

Some species to discover in nature:

● Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum)
Wildlife Trust – The common carder bummble Bee “”””

● Buff-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris)
iNaturalist – The buff-tailed bumble bee “”””

● Red-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus lapidarius)
Wildlife Trust – The Red-tailed bumble bee “”””

● Early Bumble Bee (Bombus pratorum)
Nature Spot – Early Bumble Bee “”””

● White-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus lucorum)
Bumblebee Concervation – White-tailed bumble bee “”””

● Tree Bumble Bee (Bombus hypnorum)
Woodland Trust – Tree Bumble Bee “”””

● Garden Bumble Bee (Bombus hortorum)
iNaturalist – Garden bumble bee “”””

● Broken-belted Bumble Bee (Bombus soroeensis)
BumbleBee Conservation – Broken-belted bumble bee “”””

● Bohemian Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus bohemicus)
iNaturalist – Bohemian Cuckoo Bumble Bee “”””

Sources

  1. WWF – Top 10 facts about bees 
  2. Buzz about Bees – The Wonderful World Of Bees 
  3. Ecoation – Difference between bumble bees and honey bees 
  4. PBS Org – Bumble Bee Fact Sheet 
  5. Wikipedia – Bumble Bee 

May 2022, TÄNKOM | Revised February 2024 RETHINK