Congratulations! You have chosen to research the Bumble Bee.

Lifespan	Are they harmful?
What they eat	How are they helpful?
Where they live	Other information

Lifespan of a bumble bee:

• Did you know that the bumble bee got it's name because it bumbles around bumping from flower to flower?

• Bumble bees live in colonies just like honey bees.  Each colony has 3 types of members: queens, drones, and workers.

• The queen can live from 2-5 years.

• The drone lives 40-50 days.  Drones are male bees.

• Most of the bees are workers. They work hard making honey and stinging for defense! They are females. They live from 1-4 months.

• The life cycle of the worker bee: Egg (3 days), Larva (6 days), Pupa (12 days). This is a total of 21 days from egg (baby) to adult worker.

• The life cycle of the drone is 24 days, while the queen's is 16 days.

What a bumble bee eats:

• The bumble bee eats nectar and pollen from flowers.

Where bumble bees live:

• Bumble bees live in colonies.

• They build their nests in holes or cracks in the ground.

How Are They Harmful?

• Some people are allergic to the sting of bumble bees.

• They can cause problems if their nests are disturbed by digging or kids playing near them.

How are they helpful?

• Bumble bees are important because they pollinate fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

• Without them many plants would not grow.  Bumble bees visit flowers, feeding on the nectar and collecting the pollen to help build their nests.