Bumble Bees

How to identify bumblebees

Did you know there are 24 different species of bumblebee in the UK. There are 18 social species with a queen, a worker and male forms (which we call castes).  Then there is 6 cuckoo species which only have female and male castes.

For some species there are differences between the females and males, in others all castes look the same and making them difficult too identify. 

Listed here from the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust are some of the common species and some are less common and lastly ones that a scares. 

• Common and widespread. Over 95% of bumblebee sightings are likely to be one of the following ‘big eight’ species – Common carder, Red-tailed, Early, Tree, Garden, Heath, Buff-tailed and White-tailed bumblebees.
• Less common but still widespread over many parts of the UK – Southern cuckoo, Gypsy cuckoo, Forest cuckoo, Barbut’s cuckoo, Red-tailed cuckoo and Field cuckoo bumblebees.
• Scare and only found in certain areas or habitats – Ruderal, Broken-belted, Red-shanked carder, Bilberry, Brown-banded carder, Moss carder, Great Yellow and Shrill carder bumblebees.