Bumblebees

Abstract

The Pacific Northwest has probably a dozen or more species of bumble bees. With the decline of feral honeybees and the impact on domestic bees by parasitic mites, bumble bees (not impacted by these mites) have become very important in the pollination of home garden fruits and vegetables. Bumble bees have for a long time been agriculturally important in the pollination of red clover seed fields and in cranberry production. Most of our bumble bees are black and yellow and hairy (Fig. 1.) but some are adorned with significant orange stripes or patches (Fig. 2.).