A Pictorial Guide to Bees
of the
Humboldt Bay Dunes
by Susan E. Nyoka
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
RELEASE 1.0 - July 2004
of the
Humboldt Bay Dunes
by Susan E. Nyoka
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
RELEASE 1.0 - July 2004
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A Pictorial Guide to Bees
of the Humboldt Bay Dunes by Susan E. Nyoka Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge RELEASE 1.0 - July 2004 |
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Home How to Recognize a Bee
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Bumble Bees
Like honey bees, bumble bees (Bombus spp.) live in colonies with stored resources in a central hive and a worker caste to help gather food and raise young, though colonies are short-lived (annual) and generally modest in size. Queens of some species may be observed as early as January, followed by workers and males. New queens emerge at the end of the season to mate, and then eat enough food to store up a fat reserve before winter hibernation. Approximately a dozen bumble bee species visit the dunes to gather pollen and nectar, but most species nest in other habitats such nearby forests and pastures.
 Species can be distinguished by the color and patterning of their pile ("fur"). Color patterns often differ between the sexes, and each sex may have several variations within a species, making identification difficult for the casual observer. [Learn More]  |
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