When can you see queen bumblebees?

As the first rays of spring sunshine warm the ground there’s more stirring underneath our feet than just spring flowers bursting into life. Head to a clump of willow on a sunny spring day and you might be lucky enough to spot a queen bumblebee gorging herself on the acid yellow catkins.  

Queen bumblebees are some of the first bees that you are likely to see in the year. This is because it is up to them to get the colony started. Other than the queen, very few bumblebees survive the winter. The queens hunker down and hibernate the colder months away in tiny burrows in the soil. 

With the arrival of the warmer weather, the queen rouses herself and emerges to feed on early spring flowers, slurping up nectar to regain her energy. Then comes the house hunting. Rather than creating a nest from scratch, the queen will survey a number of different ready-made nest sites before settling on her preferred location. You may be able to spot a queen out house hunting by her distinctive zig-zag flying pattern low over the ground.  

Where do bumblebees nest?

Different bumblebee species tend to choose different types of nest sites. Buff-tailed bumblebees and small garden bumblebees will normally set up home underground, often in disused mammal burrows. 

Whereas the gingery-yellow common carder bee will usually opt for ground level nests in areas of thick grass or moss, under hedges, or even in your compost heap. If you ever do find a bumblebee nest in your compost, just leave them there in peace and they will have vacated by the end of the season.

Some bumblebee species’ queens will also choose a nest site above ground. Tree bumblebees, as their name suggests, enjoy the lofty view afforded by setting up home in natural tree holes, but will also occupy bird boxes, under the eaves of buildings, under soffit boards and in wall cavities. 

How do queen bumblebees raise their young?

Once a suitable home has been found, the queen then gets on with the task of raising the next generation. She shuttles from flower to nest, building up stores of pollen and nectar. The pollen she mixes with wax secreted from her body, creating a mound into which she lays her eggs. The nectar is stored in a wax pot (if only it were labelled ‘lunch’!) in front of the mound. 

At this point our queen bumblebee will disappear from sight for a couple of days while she sits on her eggs, shivering her muscles to keep them warm until the larvae emerge Then she’s back out again on forays to collect yet more nectar and pollen from nearby flowers to feed her ravenous offspring.

What happens to queen bumblebees in summer?

By early summer our queens disappear from sight again, hunkering down in the nest, laying eggs and commanding that first batch of offspring who are all female worker bees. It is not until late summer that males will be produced in order to allow the colony to reproduce. 

Majestic not only in name but also in stature and importance, queen bees are a heart-warming sign that spring is here. You can support the queen’s busy few months by planting your garden, window box or balcony, with lots of willow and other early spring flowers and blossom.