We are bumblebees!
As we buzz around in our busy world, we gather pollen and nectar to take back to our nest, and drink some of the nectar to give us energy to fly.
We need plants to survive as we only feed on flowers. But without us, many plants would not be able to produce their fruits and seeds.
Keep an eye out for us in gardens, fields, woodlands, and towns.
Is that a bee?
There are many different types of bees, but there are also creatures that try to pretend they are bees (we call them WannaBees!).
They look like bees, and they are all insects so they have 6-legs like bees, but other things about them can be very different. They all do the same important job of helping to pollinate flowers so a plant can make seeds.
Bees
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Bumblebees - come in different colours, from white, black and yellow striped to ginger. They have large furry bodies, two-pairs of wings, and they buzz loudly!
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Honey bees - have a shiny black & gold striped body that isn't furry. They live in a hive with lots of other bees where they make honey to feed their baby bees.They have two-pairs of wings.
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Solitary bees - there are over 250 different kinds of solitary bees that live alone, not in colonies or hives. They have 2-pairs of wings. Many kinds live in a small nest underground or in holes in wooden sheds or houses.
'Wannabees'
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Hoverflies - are flies that come in many shapes, sizes and colours. if you count their wings they only have 1-pair. Some look like bees and wasps but they don't have a sting!
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Bee-flies - are a type of fly and have huge eyes and a single pair of wings. They have a rigid proboscis (long feeding tube) on their head.
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Wasps - they look a bit like honeybees but you can tell them apart by their very narrow waist, known as a 'wasp waist'. They have 2 pairs of long slim wings.
Bumblebee bodies
Let's learn about how a bumblebee body works.
Wings - they have two-pairs (4-wings in total) and they needs them to fly. They can warm themselves up in colder weather by vibrating their flight muscles. It can look like the bee is shivering and it makes a 'buzzing' sound.
Body - They have a a very furry body which helps them survive in much colder parts of the world that other insects cannot. They don't live in hot countries as their furry body means they would overheat.
Antennae - they have 2 antennae on their head which are used to detect the smell from flowers, or other bees. They can sense the direction and whether the smell is near or far away. Bumblebees don't have ears but they use their antennae to sense vibrations with which helps them stay safe.
Tongue (proboscis) - this is used to suck up nectar from flowers which gives the bee energy to fly. Bumblebees have some of the longest tongues of all bee species, so they can drink from very long flowers that honey bees can't reach.
Legs - If you look closely at bumblebees in the garden you might see a blob of pollen being carried on their back legs! Most female bumblebees collect pollen in this way to take back to the nest. Humans call them ‘pollen baskets’ but they are really a shiny patch at the top of the legs surrounded by hairs that pollen sticks to.
Tail - female bumblebees have a pointy tail that can be used to lay eggs (called an ovipositor). They are usually gentle creatures but, if they feel attacked, they can use the ovipositor to defend themselves by stinging. Stay calm around bees and they will be calm too!
How a bumblebee grows
The life cycle of a bumble bee is a hidden thing that humans don't usually see. Let's follow the steps it must go through to become an adult.
1. Eggs - The Queen Bumblebee lays lots of eggs inside a ball of pollen and wax, and then covers them with her body (brooding) to keep them warm.
2. Larvae - After a few days, the eggs hatch into larvae which look like little white grubs.
3. Cocoon - The Queen feeds pollen to the larvae for two weeks until they are large enough to spin their own cocoons. Inside their cocoons they develop (pupate) into adult bees.
4. Adult - Once the adults emerge from their cocoons, most take over the job of collecting pollen & nectar (workers) whilst the Queen starts laying new eggs. Towards the end of the year, some new queens are born and they hibernate through winter before laying their own eggs. The cycle begins again....
Bumblebees through the seasons
Most bumblebees do not live very long and so they have to be ‘busy bees’ to get things done. Queen bees can live up to one year, but female workers and male bumblebees only live between 2 and 6 weeks long.
Follow a bumblebee’s journey through the year
Spring - The Queen bumblebee wakes up from hibernation. She begins to search for a good place to make her own nest. Old mouse nests underground or empty bird boxes in trees can be good places for some bumblebees to make their nests, as they are dry and already have soft bedding in. She builds her own nest inside from pollen & wax and then lays her eggs.
Early summer - This is what the nest looks like inside the entrance hole. An adult bee is tending the nest while a new bee is emerging from its cocoon. The first bees to be born are all female ‘workers’ and together are called a ‘colony’. Some guard and clean the nest, whilst others look for flowers. They work hard because the more food they can gather from flowers, the healthier the whole colony will be!
Late summer - Some male bees are born so that the new Queens can have babies next spring time. Once they have mated with a male bee, the new Queen bees eat a lot of pollen and nectar to get fat enough to survive the cold, winter.
Autumn & winter - the new Queen bumblebees dig a small hole underground to hibernate in through the winter. They stay in their holes until the warmer spring weather wakes them up ready for a new year.The hole can look tiny from the outside so you could easily walk past one without noticing.
A bumblebee's place in nature
What makes bees so amazzzzzzzzzing?
Everything in nature is connected - we can call this 'the web of life'.
If one plant or creature disappears, everything else is affected. Bumblebees are an important part of this web. But why?
They help plants reproduce
Each time a bumblebee visits a flower, some pollen from the stamens (the male parts of the flower) gets caught on its furry body.
At the next flower it visits, some of that pollen brushes off onto the stigma (the female part of the flower). This is called pollination. Because of this, the plants can grow their seeds and fruits, which is called ‘reproduction’.
They help make food for animals and people
Bumblebees can pollinate lots of plants, both wild plants and food crops. The picture on the left is a bee visiting a flower on an apple tree; the one on the right is the apple that formed from the pollinated flower 3 months later. You can still see the dead male flower parts (stamens) on the apple.
Bumblebees have much longer tongues than honey bees, meaning they can reach into the nectaries of many different flowers, such as beans and strawberries.
They buzz-pollinate tricky flowers
Bumblebees are some of the only creatures that can ‘buzz-pollinate’ in the UK. They do this by grabbing the flower tightly and vibrating their flight muscles.
Things like tomato and blueberry plants need to be buzz-pollinated in order to grow their fruits.
They are part of the food chain
All food chains start with a Producer (something that can make its own food). Plants do this by photosynthesis. Bees then eat the nectar and pollen from the plant's flowers (which means they are Primary Consumers). Other creatures then eat the bumblebees (we call them Secondary Consumers). But what brave creatures would try to eat a bumblebee?!
Summary - So, that means that bumblebees are nature’s best... long-tongued, crop-helping, pollen-shaking, plant friend!
That’s why Bumblebees are so great!
Become a bumblebee champion!
Now you have learned more about beautiful buzzing bumblebees you are almost ready to become a BEE CHAMPION.
Earth care is all about how we can look after and conserve the earth and all of its plants and creatures.
We can help care for bumblebees by:
1. Being a Bee Champion: Look out for bees and share why they are important with other people.
2. Raising money for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
3. Letting the flowers grow! If you are thinking about picking flowers, just leave them for the bees. Remember, flowers are the only places bees can get their food.
4. Protecting them: Sometimes bees just need a rest. If you find a bee that might get trodden on, and you can move it safely without getting stung, move it to a sheltered place. Only give them sugar-water as a last resort (if they have not moved for over 45 minutes).
Quiz - why are bumblebees important?
Which of the statements below do you think are right?
- They pollinate flowers so plants can make fruit and seeds.
- They help make food for animals and plants.
- Bees and their larvae are eaten by some other animals.
- Bumblebees help cool the planet with the fast beating of their wings.
Clue: three statements are right and one is wrong
Congratulations - you are now a bee champion!