Where I live the Black-tailed Bumble Bee is usually the first species I see in January or February, depending on local conditions. On a walk last winter I stopped by a small community park near my house. The date was February 15, 2024. The park has a few native plant cultivars, including three manzanita shrubs.… Continue reading Black-tailed Bumble Bee
Category: Bumble Bees
White-Shouldered Bumble Bee
The White-shouldered Bumble Bee (Bombus appositus), is common in the western states at higher elevations including the Sierra Nevada, Cascades and Rocky Mountain meadows and slopes. The species is less common in coastal areas. The female bees in these photos are feeding on Wild Bergamot. This species of bumble bee has a long tongue that… Continue reading White-Shouldered Bumble Bee
Two Form Bumble Bee
I spent some time in Steamboat Springs, Colorado last summer. I visited the Yampa River Botanic Park three times while I was there. The park is compact and features trees, shrubs and flowering perennials, both native and exotics from around the world. I went there because I thought there was a good chance that I… Continue reading Two Form Bumble Bee
Morrison Bumble Bee
The historic range of the Morrison Bumble Bee includes most of the western United States from south to north and into British Columbia, Canada. Biologists who specialize in bumble bee conservation assessed the species’ population status in 2014 as vulnerable, which means that in its historic range, the species’ abundance and persistence have declined significantly.… Continue reading Morrison Bumble Bee