Bumble bees, unlike honey bees, do not construct large, perennial hives. Instead, they create smaller, annual nests. These nests serve as a temporary home for colonies founded by a single queen each spring. Their structure and longevity differ from the elaborate, long-lasting structures of honey bees.
Bumble Bee Homes
A bumble bee nest is typically simple and generally small, lacking the uniform hexagonal wax comb seen in honey bee hives. Bumble bees construct small, pot-like wax structures for storing limited nectar and pollen. They also build wax brood cells where their young develop. These nests are annual, usually lasting between two and six months, and are not reused by the same colony.
Common Nesting Locations
Bumble bees are opportunistic nesters, preferring existing cavities. They seek dry, enclosed spaces offering protection from the elements and predators. Many species favor underground sites, often repurposing abandoned rodent burrows. Other common ground-level locations include dense grass tussocks, compost piles, or under sheds and log piles. Some species may also nest above ground in sheltered spots like bird boxes, wall cavities, or tree holes, providing warmth and security for the developing colony.
How Bumble Bee Nests Differ from Honey Bee Hives
Bumble bee nests and honey bee hives differ significantly in structure, colony size, longevity, and honey production. Honey bee hives are highly organized, featuring extensive hexagonal wax combs for raising young and storing large quantities of honey. Bumble bee nests are less complex, containing irregular wax pots for nectar and pollen storage and wax brood cells.
Honey bee hives can house tens of thousands of individuals, sometimes up to 50,000 to 60,000 bees. Bumble bee colonies are considerably smaller, typically ranging from 50 to 400 individuals, though some may have as few as 20 or as many as 1,700 depending on the species and time of year. Honey bee hives are perennial, with the entire colony, including the queen, overwintering for multiple years. Bumble bee nests are annual; the colony dies off in the fall, and only newly mated queens survive by hibernating alone.
Honey bees produce large quantities of honey, storing it to sustain their colony through winter. Bumble bees produce small amounts of honey for immediate consumption and to feed their larvae. Their limited supply is not harvested by humans.
The Life Cycle of a Bumble Bee Colony
The life cycle of a bumble bee colony begins in spring when a new queen emerges from hibernation. Having mated the previous fall, she spent winter alone, often burrowed in the soil. The queen then searches for a suitable nesting site, such as an abandoned rodent burrow or a dense grass tussock. Once chosen, she constructs wax pots for nectar and pollen and lays her first batch of eggs. She forages for food to nourish herself and her developing young.
The first bees to emerge are female worker bees, typically two to three weeks after the eggs are laid. These workers then take over foraging for nectar and pollen, expanding the nest, and caring for young, allowing the queen to focus solely on egg-laying. As summer progresses, the colony grows, and in late summer or early fall, the queen begins to produce new queens and males. These new queens and males leave the nest to mate. After mating, the old queen and worker bees gradually die off as autumn arrives, leaving only the newly mated queens to find a protected spot for hibernation, completing the annual cycle.