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.

Physical Description

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.

Activity Period

Late May to September, with workers reaching peak abundance in late July to early August. New queens an drones from late July to September.

Range

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.

Preferred Flowers

 Thistle
 Vetch
 Asters

Bumble Bee Videos

 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