Bumblebees are important pollinators, aiding in the reproduction of many plants, including agricultural crops. Understanding their nests offers insights into their behavior and life cycle. This article explores the appearance and structure of bumblebee nests, as well as where they are typically found.
Common Nest Locations
Bumblebee queens seek out dry, sheltered spaces with some insulating material to establish their colonies each spring. These opportunistic insects often utilize pre-existing cavities rather than constructing new ones from scratch. Many species commonly nest underground, frequently in abandoned rodent burrows, under sheds, or within compost heaps. These subterranean sites provide a stable environment, protecting the nest from direct sunlight and temperature extremes.
Other bumblebee species prefer to establish their nests at ground level, finding suitable homes in dense grass or mossy vegetation. Some may even choose above-ground locations like old bird boxes, wall cavities, or tree holes.
Physical Appearance and Internal Structure
A bumblebee nest presents a distinctly different appearance compared to the highly organized structures of other social insects. Unlike the uniform, hexagonal combs of honeybees, a bumblebee nest often looks quite messy and disorganized inside. The queen initiates construction by using materials found in the chosen cavity, such as dry grass, moss, animal fur, or even shredded paper, to create an insulating layer. This material forms a protective ball around the central nesting area.
Within this insulated space, the queen builds small, irregular wax cells and pots. These wax structures are used for storing nectar and pollen, and for housing the developing young. Brood cells are typically round and clustered untidily, rather than forming neat, symmetrical patterns. The nest’s overall size can vary significantly depending on the bumblebee species and the colony’s age, ranging from the size of a golf ball to that of a small football, housing anywhere from 50 to 400 individuals.
How Bumblebee Nests Differ
Bumblebee nests possess features that distinguish them from the nests of honeybees and wasps. Honeybee hives are elaborate, long-lasting structures characterized by their tightly packed, hexagonal wax combs, used for extensive honey storage and brood rearing. Honeybee colonies can contain tens of thousands of individuals. In contrast, bumblebee nests are annual, smaller in population, and lack the organized hexagonal comb structure.
Wasp nests, including those of hornets, are constructed from chewed wood fibers, giving them a papery, grayish appearance. These nests can be suspended from branches, built in sheltered areas, or even underground, but they do not contain wax cells like those of bees. Bumblebee nests are instead characterized by their use of insulating debris and the presence of irregular wax pots, which are absent in wasp structures.