How to identify and treat bumblebees

Finding large insects buzzing around your yard can often be a little alarming, especially if you get too close to a certain spot and they start whacking and dive-bombing into you!

If you’ve stumbled into a bumblebee nest, you might not count yourself so lucky, but they are actually a rare find. You may also feel a bit conflicted; we know they are important pollinators, but you don’t want them stinging your family, pets, or houseguests either.

While bumblebees can be an inconvenience sometimes, there are a few ways you can manage them to keep everyone safe.

Bumblebees are large and fuzzy insects that can be seen flying from flower to flower throughout the spring and summer months. Their bodies are relatively round and are completely covered in hairs.

They have that classic bee coloration of yellow and black, although some bumblebee species can have some orange and red on their bodies as well. This coloration serves as a warning to predators and us that these insects come with a sting!

They also have two pairs of wings that are relatively small compared to their large body size. Even so, they are very good fliers.

How big are bumblebees?

Bumblebees are larger than most bees and range between ½ to 1 inch in length. The queen will be much larger than the worker bees and the males.

What other bees look like a bumblebee?

Carpenter bees are often confused with bumblebees due to their size and coloring similarities. However, a bumblebee is fuzzy all over its body, including the hind part of the abdomen, while a carpenter bee is smooth on its abdomen.

Additionally, bumblebees don’t chew or eat wood, whereas carpenter bees will create holes in wooden structures.

Lastly, bumblebees live in colonies with a queen, and carpenter bees are solitary bees.

Finding a bumblebee nest in your yard, under your deck, or tucked away in an inconvenient spot, can be difficult to deal with. For the most part, leaving it alone is often the best solution. Bumblebee nests aren’t reused after the winter, so, if you can redirect walking routes or keep people and pets away from the area, the problem will go away on its own.

You could also fence over the nesting area by putting chicken wire and stakes around it to keep anyone from stumbling over the nest and getting stung. It’s best to do this at night to minimize disturbing the nest.

If the nest must go, then you should consult with a professional to try and relocate the nest to another location.

Preventing bumblebees from nesting in your yard can be the best solution. You can do this by plugging up any rodent holes you find, sealing up holes in the ground, trees, or side of the home, and planting eucalyptus and mint plants in your garden.

Bumblebees can be found throughout the United States and can tolerate cooler temperatures than their honeybee cousins.

A founding queen will create a nest in an abandoned burrow or some sort of existing chamber or opening in the spring in or near the ground. They don’t dig or burrow into wood. An old rodent’s nest, mulch or compost pile, and even birdhouses have been used by queens to establish their colonies.

Colonies can grow to 50-400 members throughout the warm seasons.