In 2003, although I’d kept honey bees for 30 years, I knew little about bumblebees. Then, my Beekeepers Association hosted a wonderful talk about bumblebees. The speaker explained how similar, but also how staggeringly different, bumblebees are to honey bees! They grabbed my attention and afterwards I dug out my copy of ‘Bumblebees’ by Prys-Jones & Corbet to re-read. The book recommended that the best way to learn more about bumblebees was to rescue a nest, one causing trouble to a householder, and bring them home to watch and learn from. A few months later my Beekeepers Association was told of a bumblebee colony that needed to be relocated, and I was drafted in to help. I managed to find and remove the nest and brought them home. It was fascinating to watch and learn and over 20 years on I am still interested in all things bumblebee!

When are Tree bumblebees active?

Nests are usually active from spring through to June or July when the new queens leave to mate, feed and then hibernate, and all the other bumblebees, the workers and the original queen, associated with the nest naturally die off.

Bumblebees are generally quite happy to live alongside their human neighbours, as long as they aren’t disturbed, and their nests don’t cause any structural damage to their surroundings. The best thing you can do is leave them to complete their natural lifecycle.

Where are Tree bumblebees found?

Tree bumblebees are found in mainland Europe, through Asia and up to the Arctic Circle. Although this species is a relatively recent addition to the UK, having been first recorded in Wiltshire in 2001, they are now present throughout England, Wales and much of Scotland. They have become one of our ‘Big 8’ most common bumblebee species. In 2017, they were found for the first time in Ireland. Have a look at the UK distribution map.

Tree bumblebees are very common in urban settings, partly due to their ability to exploit nest locations inadvertently provided by people, such as bird boxes or roof spaces. Look out for them on a variety of flowers, such as willow catkins, raspberry, comfrey, apple blossom, open roses and many more, from early spring through to the summer months.

What is the Tree bumblebee lifecycle?

The Tree bumblebee is one of the first bumblebee species to be seen in spring. In wild places, it is a ‘woodland edge’ species but in urban settings it is frequently associated with man-made structures. After emerging from hibernation, the newly emerged queens do “nest searching flights”, looking for somewhere snug and dark to set up home. Bumblebee queens usually do these nest-searching zig-zag flights over the ground, but with Tree bumblebees they also search along vertical surfaces. I’ve seen them search along fences, house walls at gutter level, around eaves and at bird box entrances.

Queens can be very resourceful and most nests are usually located well above ground level. Bird-boxes, containing old bird nests are commonly used, as well as roof spaces, especially those with insulation material which keeps the nest snug and warm. A range of other places can be used too, such as compost heaps and old mouse nests inside sheds. Each year, a few queens even set up home in fluff that has accumulated in tumble drier vent pipes. Colonies in animal bedding, such as straw, for example in rabbit hutches and horse stables, also seem to occur fairly frequently.

Dave Buttery

Once a queen has established her nest, it could be four to five weeks before her first daughters (workers) take over the foraging. The smaller workers stay at home and become ‘House Bees’, which help to look after the nest, while the larger ones forage for pollen and nectar. It can take four to five months for the nest to go full-cycle and die out, but on average, nests last around three months. A strong nest can produce 300 – 400 bumblebee workers over its lifetime (not all at once) but most are likely to be much smaller.

Successful colonies will rear ‘reproductives’ which are new queens and males. Once they have emerged from the nest, new queens will mate, build up in-body food reserves, then find somewhere to hibernate until the following year. A few queens – instead of hibernating – start their own new nest which could continue into the autumn. Males leave the nest and never return, living a self-sufficient life for a few weeks, while foraging for themselves and looking for opportunities to mate.

Do Tree bumblebees cause any problems? Not really!

The presence of bumblebees, especially if the nest is in a bird box or roof-space, can sometimes be worrying for their “human neighbours”. However, by the time a nest has become obvious it will often be about to decline naturally.

They don’t cause any damage. Some people get worried that the bumblebees will cause damage, but they do not build any permanent structures or cause any structural damage to buildings. Their nests are small and will naturally fall apart over time. If desired, nests can be removed when the colony has finished nesting, and died out.

Bumblebees don’t swarm. Male Tree bumblebees exhibit a behaviour called ‘nest surveillance‘ or ‘lekking’ towards the end of the nesting period. They are hanging around, waiting for a mating opportunity with a new queen. This looks like a cloud of bumblebees hovering outside the nest entrance. Such activity catches the eye, draws attention to the nest and can cause concern. Some people might think that it looks like a honeybee “swarm” but honeybees wouldn’t choose a bird-box (it’s too small) and the bees look too big, have white tails and are the wrong shape.

This activity happens mainly in May/June/July. It can occur over most daylight hours and may last several weeks. There might be one male doing it or 20 plus. Warm temperatures and sunshine increase the number of bumblebees, whereas cool damp weather, or rain, reduces numbers. Males often join and leave the cloud as they move from nest to nest: they are probably following a ‘patrol route’. They can also be seen to drop out of the throng, to visit flowers to get some more nectar – like popping into a garage to get some more ‘fuel’.

In slow motion film of this activity, the males can be seen facing towards the nest. When such ‘dancing’ is going on, a few bees fly directly to/from the colony straight through the cloud – these are workers and are usually smaller than the males.  Occasionally males dart towards each other and fall out of the air with an audible bang – this is mistaken-identity mating activity. When new queens emerge, they look distinctly large. The males attempt to mate which can, at first glance, look like fighting. A mating pair might fall to the ground, where they can remain coupled for a considerable time. Queens can even fly, carrying the male to somewhere more ‘private’!

Clive Hill

Bumblebee nests can make a little noise. A “bee-sound” can occasionally occur if a colony is in a roof space above a room. The “bee-chatter” can sometimes be heard into “human anti-social hours” and so cause annoyance. Sounds of fanning for nest ventilation (which can sound like a buzzing or a low gentle roar) are common, as well as intermittent ‘peep’ sounds. Earplugs can help reduce disturbance for the time the nest is active.

What happens when Tree bumblebees are disturbed?

Tree bumblebee nests in bird boxes fixed to sheds, or based somewhere inside a shed, or fixed to an insecure fence, may be disturbed by, and react defensively to vibration. They can rush to the entrance all at once, and may fly at, or sting people nearby whenever the vibration occurs. The triggers for such defensiveness can be when someone opens/shuts the shed door which causes the whole shed to shake a bit. They can also be disturbed by nearby lawn mowers, or by the box being knocked directly. If you can, it’s best to give them a bit of space, by minimising whatever caused the reaction, until they are finished nesting.

This behaviour does not seem to occur with colonies in house loft-spaces, or elsewhere in buildings, very likely since the building structure will absorb vibration, not transmit it.  Some householders can get ‘jumpy’ at the very idea of a bumblebee colony living so close-by, but most people quickly get used to the bees and such situations almost always work out to be a non-problem in real life.  Most people grow to enjoy watching their bumblebee neighbours and feel sad when it dies out naturally, a few weeks after it was first spotted.

Can I move a nest box of Tree bumblebees?

We do not recommend moving nests unless absolutely necessary. It is much better for the bees if they can stay where they are, and thoughtful education of the “human landlords” can change their mindset from consternation about the bees into great interest and wonder! However, in a few cases it might be necessary to relocate a colony so here’s how go about it.

Wait for any flying bees to return home – usually at very late dusk. Be aware that you might get stung, but bumblebee stings are un-barbed, so you only get a small dose of venom. Work in the dark wearing protective clothing, including washing-up type rubber gloves.  Use red light, from a cycle rear-light or a head torch, to see what you are doing.  Bees are unable to see red unless it is incredibly bright on them – so to them it will be dark. Then they can’t see what’s going on, and only crawl, not fly.

Quickly stop up the nest-box entrance using something air-porous, like a Kitchen Scourer pad, or a piece a flexible foam sponge pad. Lift the box from its hook. Check for, and put something over any gaps that bees could get through. Keep the box upright.

Now there are two options:

• Re-locating close-by (3 – 4 metres). Re-locate the nest box onto a stable surface close to its original location but in a position less awkward for human passers-by. The following day, quickly remove the sponge and any other covers to release the bees and retire to a safe distance. When they come out of the box the bees will quickly ‘re-orientate’ by making repetitive arcing flights around the nest entrance to learn their new surroundings.
• Re-locating further away. Keep the box upright and somewhere cool and dark overnight while the bumblebees are shut in. The following day, fix the box to a firm surface not liable to vibration and ideally a mile or more from the original location. Remove the bung and stand back – again the bumblebees will re-orientate. Make sure you have landowner permission to do this. The reason for the mile spatial separation is to minimise the risk of bees returning to the original nest location to which they used to come home.

In either case at the original location, a few bees might return. These will be ones who camped-out overnight then came back to find ‘home’ gone, but these will soon diminish.

A little about me

I’ve always cared deeply for the natural world from a very young age, so it felt only natural to embark on a career that was related to gardens.

My interest in bumblebees stemmed from my career, having witnessed first-hand the negative impacts human activity can have on their environment.

Through research and intervention, I realised that by changing the way we manage our gardens, we can collectively make a positive difference. I then started to design gardens for wildlife and began re-educating my clients, friends and family about the importance of wild bees.

How long have you been volunteering for the Trust?

I joined the Trust as a member in 2023 and began volunteering for the Trust as an outreach volunteer in 2024.

What made you decide to do volunteering and why bumblebees?

My son was having a ‘World Bee Day’ at his primary school, so I volunteered to talk to the children and help with some bee-related activities, including sowing pollinator-friendly plants to take home. It turned out to be a success, and the children were really engaged. Many parents (including teachers) were also inspired, and asked me questions about how they could help.

I think it was at this point I realised we can educate more people through our children. I also believe that it’s crucial for children to understand the importance of bumblebees from a young age, and don’t think there’s enough information covered in schools. I want to protect the future health and wellbeing of our children and inspire future generations to help save our bumblebees.

What is the best thing about your time volunteering?

Many children are afraid of bees. Seeing the children develop a newfound love and respect for bumblebees and solitary bees after each event is awesome.

What contribution or achievement are you most proud of?

I think receiving positive comments from various people I have come into contact with, either informing me of the bumblebees they have seen on the new plants I recommended, or the solitary bees they’ve spotted in the latest bee hotel they have installed. It makes my heart sing!

What is the most challenging part?

I think standing up in front of an audience is always a bit daunting, regardless of their age. But once you start talking about something you’re passionate about the nerves subside. In the back of my mind, I’m always reminding myself why I’m doing it.

What motivates you to stay volunteering?

That’s easy. Seeing the BeeWalk results of 2024 was enough to spur me on, and I felt more determined than ever to try and help. The volunteer team are amazing and very supportive with each other too. I received all the tools I needed to assist with my talks, including training and an outreach event pack. Someone from the volunteer team was always on hand to help if I was unsure of anything.

What skills have you gained through volunteering?

Definitely more confidence, which is great for public speaking. From a garden design point of view, it’s opened my eyes to how I create planting plans. I’m definitely more conscientious about the plants I choose for my designs. I will never buy bedding plants again!

Finally…

There are many different ways to support bumblebees, and I guarantee there is a role out there for you. You will be fully supported, so please don’t feel afraid to take the first leap. You will be doing something incredible for our future, and you will be amazed at how much you learn along the way!

You can find more information on our Volunteer webpage and if you’d like to get in contact, you can email us at volunteering@bumblebeeconservation.org – we’d love to hear from you!

In September 2024, our Bee Connected project was incredibly excited to re-record the UK’s rarest bee – the Shrill carder bumblebee – in south Kent; a rediscovery of this species after a 12-year absence. This rare bumblebee was recorded on a small holding in Newchurch, Romney Marsh, owned by Jacqui Bamford by project volunteer Claire Marshall. Subsequently, workers, males and a queen were recorded.

At the end of April 2025, volunteers George and Julie Kirby recorded a queen Shrill carder bumblebee whilst on a BeeWalk at MOD Hythe ranges, just under 10 miles from the discovery in the Newchurch location last year! Julie spotted what she thought was a worn, faded bumblebee, and George caught it for closer inspection and, to their delight, confirmed a Shrill carder bumblebee.

Could this be a separate population? We don’t know for sure, but these recordings demonstrate the importance of citizen scientists conducting BeeWalks and ad hoc recordings, which help us record new locations for both rare and common bumblebee species and add to our knowledge of population changes over time. They also show the importance of giving bespoke habitat advice on seasonal flower abundance, diversity, and length, ensuring the continuation of forage.

The potential that Shrill carder bumblebees have recolonised the South Kent area is an exciting development and follows years of work by Bumblebee Conservation Trust coordinating and bringing together stakeholders for a strategic approach to their conservation. The conservation strategy for the Shrill carder be developed in 2020, ensures all efforts are working towards a common vision:

“It is 2050. The Shrill carder bumblebee is thriving, with sustainable populations that are spreading and connecting across a network of flower-rich landscapes. This recovery is founded on a robust understanding of its needs, and coordinated action at national, local and community level. As a flagship species, the Shrill carder bumblebee is valued as an important part of our natural heritage.”

The strategy manages the conservation efforts for Shrill carder bumblebee (Bombus sylvarum) across their range and includes tasks such as the creation of habitat through the development of landscape scale projects; responding to planning applications that may affect the species; and even aiding student projects to address knowledge gaps. For example, we are currently helping a PhD student from the University of Cambridge to explore the genetics of the species which may, in time, give us some answers as to where these new sightings in South Kent have come from!

At the Trust we recognise the crucial role of nature-friendly farming to conserve bumblebee populations. Bumblebees and their habitats are also vital for a sustainable agricultural and food system.

From 19 – 25 May 2025 we are celebrating and supporting Nature-Friendly Farming Week. The theme this year is ‘More than Growing Food’. As well as growing food, farmers do so much more including protecting and enhancing habitats for wildlife, supporting local communities and providing opportunities for education.

A key objective in our new Trust strategy is that ‘More agricultural land is managed in bumblebee-friendly ways’. We have created our ‘Bringing the Buzz Back to Farming’ Agricultural Action Plan which outlines the key actions we need to take to deliver this objective. Below is a summary of our main aims.

We want to ensure the needs of bumblebees and other pollinators are considered in agricultural and food policies. We aim to achieve this though continuing our vital policy work, working with our bumblebee species champions and engaging in relevant consultations.

We will continue to work alongside farmers to deliver advice to encourage action for bumblebees on farmland. We will do this though our current and future conservation projects and our knowledgeable and experienced staff. We have a knowledgeable and experienced team. In the last 12 months, 11 members of our team have completed BASIS training in Principles of Sustainable Land Management with four team members achieving the advanced Certificate level.

We will support farmers and their advisors to develop a better understanding of what they need to do to benefit bumblebees on their land. We are excited to be developing resources and guidance that outline how bumblebees and farming can work together.

We will champion Nature-Friendly Farming by working with partners and in collaboration with others who are also championing and supporting nature-friendly farming and initiatives. Lastly, will take part in key agricultural events to promote and support nature-friendly farming. Look out for us this year at our stand at Groundswell from 2-3 July 2025.

Exciting news for farms and bumblebees

Earlier this year, our Conservation Projects Manager (South East) Dr Nikki Gammans became the first recipient of the LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) Caroline Drummond Scholarship for Innovation in Sustainability. This has enabled Nikki to continue work on developing this first bumblebee-focused farm cluster groups in the UK. The first of these will be based in the South-East. Find out more.

What can I do to support Nature-Friendly Farming?

Nature-Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) is a farmer-led organisation that champions and supports nature-friendly farmers. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust are on the NFFN advisory group. The network is also open for members of the public to join for free and register their support.

This year NFFN are asking members of the public to spread the word in the lead-up and during Nature-Friendly Farming Week and show their support for Nature-Friendly Farmers. To get involved: Like, share and comment across their social media channels. Look for and use the hashtag #NFFWeek2025

Are you a farmer? Find out what you can do to celebrate Nature-Friendly Farming week.

The Blaeberry bumblebee (Bombus monticola), also known as the Bilberry or Mountain bumblebee, is a small but bright and distinctive bumblebee – and one that hillwalkers, climbers and mountaineers may come across when they are ‘oot and aboot’.

This upland-specialist bumblebee is a key pollinator in the hills, working hard to keep our moorlands flowering and blaeberry blooming in what can be quite an inhospitable landscape.

Without pollination, there wouldn’t be berries or seeds for the birds and small mammals, and we wouldn’t have the extraordinary sight of purple-flowering heather splashed over our moorlands in late summer. Our environment would be less healthy, less colourful and less diverse.   

However, the Blaeberry bumblebee is under threat. It’s already been designated as a conservation-priority species by the Scottish Government because of the challenges that climate change poses to this cold-adapted, mountain-dwelling species, which is most at home on moorland over 300m. The Cairngorm National Park could be one of the few strongholds for the Blaeberry bumblebee left in the UK, and we are in an important position to support its conservation.  

To best protect and conserve these precious pollinators we need to understand exactly where they are found and how they are doing in these areas. Recording your bumblebee sightings is a practical way to contribute to knowledge and conservation in the hills – as mountaineers and walkers, we can collect valuable information from areas that are inaccessible to many people.

When and where should I look for Blaeberry bumblebees?

Blaeberry bumblebees are generally found in upland areas, at or over 300m above sea level. They can pop up in unexpected places, including gardens, agricultural fields and road verges close to hills or moorland. Their favourite flowers include blaeberry, heather, white clover, thistles and ragwort.

These bumblebees are most active between May and July but could be spotted as early as March or late as September, depending on the year and the weather

Keep an eye out anywhere that seems like suitable habitat for them. We would love to see Blaeberry bumblebee records coming in from all over, but we are particularly keen to hear about sightings in new areas where they haven’t been recorded before, especially in the Cairngorms National Park. Our Skills for Bees: Scotland project is working with partners in the national park to increase and improve long-term bumblebee recording and to conserve priority species.

To help with this, we’ve created a map of the top peaks across the Cairngorms where we have identified the right habitat present for Blaeberry bumblebees, but there are no publicly-available records at all. If you’re heading to these peaks over the summer, could you be the first to bag a bumblebee in these hills?   

If you have would like help identifying a bumblebee from a photo so that you can add your sighting to iRecord, please use iNaturalist.

OK, I’ve seen a Blaeberry bumblebee. Now what do I do?

Rejoice! You are one of the lucky ones! Now make your sighting count…  

If you see a Blaeberry bumblebee, take a photo and make a note of the date and location. Don’t worry if your photo isn’t to a professional standard! Blaeberry bumblebees are such a distinctive species, it’s often possible to confirm their identity even from slightly out-of-focus photos. 

We recommend using iRecord to log your sightings, which is simple to use and is available through their website or in a handy app. Wildlife sightings submitted to iRecord are checked and verified by a local expert, before feeding into a publicly available national database. This means your sightings can be accessed and used by anyone, including conservation organisations, planning authorities, students and researchers. The four key pieces of information needed are:

1. What you saw (species, with a photo if possible)
2. When you saw it (date)
3. Where you saw it (6-figure grid reference)
4. Who saw it (your name)

If you use the iRecord app, most of these details will be added automatically for you, using built-in GPS, or you can search using the map. You just need to press the big green ‘+’ symbol on the menu bar at the bottom of the screen and type in “Bombus monticola”.  

When using iRecord, some details are compulsory, but others aren’t. You don’t need to worry about ‘life stage’ or ‘sex’. In the ‘comment’ section, you can add further details if you’d like to, such as what type of flower the bumblebee was seen on, or anything else you find interesting. You’ll need to make an account to use the app but you can use the website without an account by clicking here.

An alternative simple way of making your sighting count is to contact your local records centre which keeps a database with all the wildlife sightings in their constituency. They may also be able to help with identification. In the Cairngorms National Park, this would be the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre. You can contact them or submit records through their website, or email them directly.

Science Manager, Dr Richard Comont, gives us an insight into why we’ve been seeing less bumblebees this year.

As the years roll by, there tends to be one thing that happened during the year that attaches itself as a label. 2020 was the year of Covid, 2022 was the 40°C heatwave. For a lot of people, 2024 was The Year of No Bees.

It all started off so well. Back in early March the skies were blue and queen bumblebees were emerging from their winter dormancy in high numbers – in fact, several species reached record numbers in March or April. But then the wheels came off. In June, volunteers across our BeeWalk network were recording around 11 bumblebees for every kilometre they walked. In a ‘normal’ year, they would be recording 21, almost twice as many. 2024 stood out as the worst June count on record.

Some species were faring even worse. The Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) is a widespread and common species, understatedly beautiful with a jet-black body and bright red tail. The flight season started well, with around a third more sightings of overwintered queens than usual in March and April. But then – nothing happened.

Red-tailed bumblebee © Jade Oliver

In a normal year, those queens would find themselves a nest site and start producing workers in May, with numbers ramping up in June and staying high through July and August, workers gradually give way to males and new queens. During 2024 they just never managed to get going. In June, sightings were 83% down. Instead of seeing a Red-tail every 250-300 metres, BeeWalkers were only seeing one individual every two kilometres.

The immediate cause seems to have been the weather. After that burst of early-spring sunshine, the spring and early summer settled down into a pattern of dull, gloomy, damp days interspersed with heavy rain. This makes life incredibly difficult for bumblebees, especially in the early stages of nesting where the queen has to balance finding a nest site, foraging for herself, foraging for her developing offspring, and incubating her brood. Cool, damp weather means the queens spend more energy keeping themselves and their brood warm, which increases the need for foraging but decreases the time available for it.

To make things even more difficult, that foraging would have become more difficult in the poor weather. Food from flowers is less accessible on cold, damp days, especially as flowers close up or get damaged in heavy rain.

Unfortunately, the BeeWalk numbers show that many queens didn’t manage to walk this tightrope and nest successfully.

How can I help bumblebees?

In response to our latest BeeWalk data, we’ve launched an urgent appeal to help secure a future for bumblebees. We can’t control the weather, but we can:

• Make habitats more resilient to climate change
• Influence decision makers to prioritise pollinators, not pesticides
• Lead the fight to secure a future for bumblebees

By donating to our appeal, you’ll be helping to secure a future for our bumblebees.

Donate to our crisis appeal today.