Northern Amber Bumble Bee, Bombus borealis
Excerpted from Bumble Bees of Wisconsin
A beautiful, nearly all yellow bumble bee found throughout Wisconsin. This northern-distrubted species
is a sports a long tongue length, making long-corolla flowers ideal for it.
Hair medium and even. Thorax top yellow, with black sides, and a widened black band between the
wings. All but last abdominal segment yellow, typically a darker yellow to amber hue. Yellow patch of
hairs on face. Color patterns similar between sexes (worker vs, drone) and castes (queen vs. worker).
Males also lack corbiculae, or the flattened midleg of the hind leg used for transporting pollen.
Late May to September, with workers reaching peak abundance in late July to early August. New
queens an drones from late July to September.
Queens emerge in late spring (typically early May), with peak worker numbers in July and August. New
queens and drones present from July to September.
Thistle
Vetch
Asters
Buzz Pollination
Slo-Mo Footage of a Bumble Bee Dislodging Pollen
Look Inside a Bumblebee Nest
How to Build a Bumble Bee House
Development of Colony and Nest in the Bumblebee