Bee-Care
Before we get caught up in the details, let’s answer the basic question: A bumble bee is a large, fuzzy social bee from the genus Bombus. Unlike honey bees, bumble bees live in small colonies for just one season. They're vital pollinators in gardens and wild landscapes,
Bee-Care
One spring, I spotted what I thought was a classic bumble bee bouncing between my tomato flowers, big, fuzzy, yellow-striped. A week later, a closer look at a photo showed the abdomen reflecting sunlight like black patent leather. It turned out to be a carpenter bee. I’d trusted
Bee-Care
Last April, I spent several mornings by the kitchen window watching my garden. Every year, I’d added more “bee-friendly” flowers, lavender, sunflowers, even fancy seed mixes from the local nursery. But that spring, only two bumble bees showed up. One was bright yellow and black, the other mostly
Bee-Care
I still remember the first time I noticed how quiet my garden had become. Years ago, fat bumble bees used to bump past my knees every time I weeded. Lately, I’d spot just one or two a week. That uneasy feeling, wondering where they’d gone and if anything
Bee-Care
When I first tried to help bumble bees in my own yard, every guide I found sounded simple, plant flowers, skip pesticides, join a local effort. But it was only after a few seasons of trial and error (and more than one empty flower bed) that I learned which actions
Bee-Care
Seeing bumble bees coming and going around your yard can feel worrying, especially if you’re not sure how risky their nest is or what you should do next. Here’s a practical guide to figuring out exactly where the nest is, how bumble bees behave, and what steps actually
Bee-Care
Missing bumble bees in a garden isn’t just disappointing, it often means fewer tomatoes, squash, berries, and flowers. Attracting them takes more than planting “bee-friendly” seeds from a store packet. Success depends on timing, plant arrangement, flower structure, simple habitat tweaks, and avoiding common pitfalls. Here’s how
Pollinators
When I first saw bumble bees working inside a greenhouse, it was the sudden change on the harvest crew’s faces that stuck with me. For weeks, they’d been moving row by row with hand tools, trying to coax fruit set on every tomato truss. The day bumble bees
Pollinators
I used to think bumble bees were just chubby, cranky bugs waiting to sting anyone who crossed their path. That changed the day I watched a neighbor try to “flush out” a nest with a garden hose, she was convinced it was the heroic thing to do. All it did
Pollinators
Nothing tests your insect ID skills like the sudden buzz near your ear or a mysterious nest by the back door. If you know exactly what you’re dealing with, bumble bee, honey bee, or wasp, you can avoid stings, protect pollinators, and save yourself a lot of frustration. Here’
Pollinators
Troubleshooting Bumble Bee Stings: What Actually Works Bumble bee stings create confusion and anxiety for many people, especially when the reaction isn’t textbook clear. Having spent years tracking real-life responses and outcomes, I’ve noticed that small, practical choices in the first minutes often matter more than memorizing
Pollinators
The Lifecycle of Bumble Bees: From Queen to Colony A few springs ago, I knelt beside a half-rotten log in my backyard and spotted a bumble bee queen. She was large, slow, and caked with mud. I watched her drag herself across the leaf litter, pausing often as though