Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
This species practices 'buzz pollination' (sonication), grabbing a flower and rapidly vibrating its flight muscles to dislodge pollen that is otherwise trapped inside pores.
- Scientific name
- Bombus impatiens
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Apidae › Bombus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Temperate grasslands, meadows, forest edges, agricultural fields, and urban gardens.
- Diet
- Nectar (for energy) and pollen (for protein), collected from a diverse array of flowering plants.
- Range
- Eastern North America, Southern Canada, Eastern United States, Great Plains region
- Size
- Queens: 17-21 mm; Workers: 8-16 mm; Drones: 12-17 mm.
- Lifespan
- Queens live up to 1 year (overwintering); workers and drones live for only 2 to 4 weeks.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Pesticide exposure (particularly neonicotinoids), habitat loss, climate change, and pathogens spread by commercially reared bees.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and docile when foraging. Only female workers and queens can sting, which they will do defensively if stepped on, squeezed, or if their underground nest is threatened. Keep a respectful distance of a few feet to watch them work. If stung, scrape the stinger away, wash the area with soap and water, and apply a cold compress. Seek immediate medical attention if signs of a severe systemic allergic reaction occur.
Bombus impatiens , the common eastern bumble bee , is the most commonly encountered bumblebee across much of eastern North America. They can be found in the Eastern Temperate Forest region of the eastern United States, southern Canada, and the eastern Great Plains. Because of their great adaptability, they can live in country, suburbs, and even urban cities. This adaptability makes them a great pollinator species, leading to an increase in their commercial use by greenhouse industry. This...
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