Large garden bumblebee
4 May 2010
The large garden bumblebee can be found throughout England but is more plentiful in wetter areas such as the washes and levels of the East. Its current distribution is unclear because of confusion with a very similar looking species, Bombus hortorum.
Large garden bumblebee (c) Mike Edwards
Latin name: Bombus ruderatus
Population numbers:
No attempt has been made to census or even to estimate the number of B.ruderatus nests.
Where to see and when:
B.ruderatus queens emerge in late spring, mostly after other bumblebee queens are remaining in their nests to look after their brood. Some B.ruderatus queens are even more conspicuous in being almost entirely black, with only a hint of a white tail. B.ruderatus workers will gather pollen from flowers with long corollas, especially red clover.
What’s being done:
Environmental Stewardship is helping farmers to provide the habitat features and landscape diversity that benefits bumblebees. This particularly involves sowing red clover rich field margins to provide more nectar and pollen for the bumblebees to feed their brood.
More information:
Operation bumblebee
website
