Busy at Work!

• 3 Aug, 2009
• 5 likes

A Digger Bumble-bee (Bombus terrestris) busy at work on a Hibiscus flower.

Very common all over Europe. Workers die in Autumn, males, old & young females go into hiding and hibernate. After hibernating female lays foundations of nest in mouse-holes etc., up to 1.5m underground. Lines the nest with leaves moss etc. that it finds in the hole then builds waxy chambers and fills them with pollen and nectar. Larvae also receive additional food. Up to 150 workers and over 100 young females hatch in 20 days.