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Bumble Bee
(John Obermeyer, Purdue University)
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Common Name: Bumble Bee

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae


Pest Status: This is a very beneficial plant pollinator.

Appearance: Bumble bees are large (3/4 inch to 1 1/2-inch), hairy bees that are generally black and yellow.

Life Cycle: The queen lays several eggs in a crevice in the middle of the nest and then seals it with wax. Newly hatched larvae consume part of the nest, but are also fed by the queen through an opening in the cell wall. When the larvae are fully grown, they spin cocoons and eventually emerge as workers that forage for the colony and protect the nest.

Where to Collect: Bumble bees are often encountered foraging at flowers. Wooden sheds and barns are favorite nesting place of bumble bees, but they may nest nearly anywhere.

Purdue Extension Entomology, 901 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA, (765) 494-4554

Department of Entomology | College of Agriculture | Extension

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