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Bombus pratorum


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6 common species
Bombus terrestris/lucorum
Bombus lapidarius
Bombus pratorum
Bombus pascuorum
Bombus hortorum
Less common species
Quick ID guide
Cuckoo bumblebees
North American species
Is it a bumblebee?
Other bees
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Bombus pratorum male
Bombus pratorum are relatively small bees and have short tongues. Consequently they are rarely found on vetches but can manage to forage on white clover, lavender, sage, allium, cotoneaster, thistles and other daisy type flowers. The workers are smaller versions of the queen (above) with a whitish tail, but the abdominal yellow hairs can vary from being completely absent to being as abundant as on the queen. The males (right and below) have the greatest abundance of yellow hairs. B. Pratorum nests are shorter lived than other bumblebee nests, and along with B. hortorum they have a reputation for nesting in unusual places. It has been roported that they can have two or even three colonies a year. That is new queens instead of hibernating will immediately start a nest. If you find a nest in a place where it really must be moved the see the hortorum page. Like hortorum these bees are very placid and will cause no harm providing the nest is left alone and the entrance free of obstruction.
{pratorum male}
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