Bumble Bees

Identification

• ¼-1 inch long

• Large and clumsy looking

• Yellow and black striped, extremely fuzzy

• Females may sting if provoked

• Hind most set of legs flattened to help carry pollen

Environment

• Nest underground

• Nests common in old mouse burrows or dense clumps of grass

Threats

• Nests may not be visible or obvious

• May sting or enact other forms of defense if threatened. Stings may cause an allergic reaction

Treatment

• Treatment is only done if the bees pose a threat, for example someone with extreme allergic reactions to stings

• It is possible to make the habitat less hospitable to the bees by keeping lawns trimmed, limiting the number of flowering plants present, and discouraging mouse populations

• Bees are protected as pollinators, so treatment is only enacted when the bees are deemed a nuisance, and removal is always the first choice over other treatment options