The Humble Bumble

Today I was browsing images and came across these photographs of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) collecting pollen.

One of the main differences between honey bees and bumblebees is that honey bees produce honey and bumblebees do not.



Due to habitat destruction bumblebees are in danger in many developed countries. Nineteen species of bumblebee are known to exist in Britain along with six cuckoo bumblebees (Bombus psithyrus). Three species are already extinct and eight are endangered.

The cuckoo bumblebees(Bombus psithyrus) female raid other colonies and then kill or subdue the queen. She is then able to "enslave" the workers using pheromones making it possible to feed her young.