Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

🐝 Discover the buff-tailed bumblebee

The buff-tailed bumblebee lives in gardens, grasslands, parks and other flower-rich areas. This social bumblebee lives in colonies and is an important pollinator.

🔎 At a glance

• Animal group: Insect
• Region: Europe
• Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)
• Diet: Nectar and pollen

🌼 Where does it live?

Buff-tailed bumblebees often nest underground, in abandoned burrows of animals such as mice, and forage in the surroundings as long as there are enough flowers.

🌿 What does it eat?

Nectar provides energy, pollen provides protein — especially important for the development of larvae in the colony.

🐝 How it lives

The buff-tailed bumblebee lives in colonies with a queen and worker bees. Unlike many other insects, the bumblebee can also fly in cold and cloudy weather.

✨ Special features of this animal

The buff-tailed bumblebee can "warm up" its flight muscles by vibrating, making it one of the few insects that can remain active even in cold weather. It is an essential pollinator for wild plants and crops.

💡 Did you know?

• A colony can number hundreds of worker bees.
• Buff-tailed bumblebees pollinate many vegetable and fruit crops.
• Only young queens survive the winter, hidden in the ground.
• Bumblebees can fly even in cloudy weather and low temperatures.

🌿 Threats & protection

Globally, the species is not endangered, but pollinators like the buff-tailed bumblebee face challenges due to fewer flower-rich areas and pesticide use.

← Wildlife Explorer Wiki