Bumble bees, recognized by their fuzzy bodies and buzzing flight, are frequent visitors to gardens and natural landscapes. Many people associate all bees with honey production, leading to questions about whether bumble bees also create this sweet substance. While they are indeed pollinators, the way bumble bees manage their food resources differs significantly from their honey bee relatives. This article will clarify the dietary habits of bumble bees and explain why they do not produce honey in the traditional sense.
What Bumble Bees Eat
Bumble bees primarily consume nectar and pollen from flowering plants. Nectar, a sugary liquid, serves as their main energy source, fueling their flights and other activities. Bumble bees use a long, tubular mouthpart called a proboscis to access nectar deep within flowers.
Pollen provides essential proteins, lipids, and other nutrients for their growth and larval development. Worker bumble bees collect pollen, accumulating it in specialized “pollen baskets” on their hind legs, known as corbiculae. At the nest, this pollen is mixed with nectar and fed to the developing young. While nectar provides immediate energy, pollen is crucial for the colony’s overall development and the health of the brood.
Why Bumble Bees Don’t Make or Eat Honey
Unlike honey bees, bumble bees do not produce large quantities of honey for long-term storage. Their colonies have a much shorter lifespan, lasting only a single season. At the end of the season, the entire colony dies off, with only newly mated queens hibernating to start new colonies the following spring. This annual life cycle means bumble bees do not require vast food reserves to sustain a colony through winter.
While bumble bees do collect nectar and store it in small wax pots within their nests, this is a temporary store for immediate consumption by the queen and developing larvae. This stored nectar does not undergo the transformation process, including dehydration and enzyme addition, that honey bees perform to convert nectar into honey. Consequently, bumble bee nectar stores have a higher moisture content and would ferment if kept for extended periods. They typically store only enough food to last for a few days, making them more susceptible to food shortages.