As they fly from flower to flower, the bumblebee collects pollen between the its hairs
This might be the most common bee to see if you are an east coaster. The common eastern bumblebee is found across the eastern US, southern Canada, and the Great Plains. Their fuzzy bodies make them great pollinators. As they fly from flower to flower, the bumblebee collects pollen between the its hairs. The bee is then able to brush the pollen that has collected on its fuzzy body all the way to its hind legs. It then packs the pollen into what is known as the corbicula. You can think of the corbicula like a pollen basket. In this photo, the corbicula is visible here…
Interestingly, only the female bees have these pollen baskets. Why is this? For eastern bumblebees it has to do with their roles. Shortly after hatching, male bees leave the nest, never to return. The male bumblebee collects nectar all day and pursues mates. As they fly from plant to plant the males mark their territory with a scent that will hopefully attract a queen bee. Female bees, like the one in this photo, leave the nest to collect pollen. Unlike the males, the females return to the nest with their pollen baskets full. They drop off the pollen and return to the flowers to continue their pursuit. However, there is a window of opportunity to conduct these pollen gathering missions. Bumblebees prefer it hot. You tend to not see bees in the cooler times of day (mornings and evenings), but during the heat of the day they are “busy bees”.
When it comes to reproduction, bumble bees are interesting in that the queen bee gets to decide whether or not to fertilize eggs. After mating, the female bee will store the sperm in something called a spermatheca. After winter, she will decide whether to fertilize the eggs or not. The difference in this decision will determine the sex of the bee. Fertilized eggs become female bees, and unfertilized eggs become males.
The male bumblebee collects nectar all day
The female bumblebees can sting over and over
Bumblebees tend to be approachable and ignorant of anything besides their next pollen fix. If you approach slowly, you can get some close photo opportunities. If you get too close and get stung, you can identify that it was a female bee, because males do not have stingers. The female bumblebees can sting over and over, their stingers do not fall out. This is different from a honey bee, which can only sting once. The honey bee’s stinger has a barb that the bumble bee’s stinger does not have.
This photo was taken at Fuller Farm Preserve near Portland, Maine. Fuller Farm Preserve is ~220 acres of open fields, wooded trails, and even a waterfall (seasonal).
Did you know? Bumblebees create honey, but nowhere near what honey bees produce.
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