Harmless in practice. A female can sting and has almost no inclination to; males cannot sting at all. Bumblebees are not defensive away from the nest and do not lose the sting when they use it.
Size15–22 mm; queens noticeably larger in spring
MarkingsDensely furry all over, including the abdomen — the opposite of a carpenter bee · Black with a yellow thorax and, in the common eastern species, one yellow abdominal band
WhereGardens, meadows and field margins. Nests in cavities — old rodent burrows, under sheds, in compost heaps and wall insulation.
SeasonQueens emerge early spring; colonies through summer, gone by winter
How to tell it apart
Densely furry all over, including the abdomen — the opposite of a carpenter bee
Black with a yellow thorax and, in the common eastern species, one yellow abdominal band
Round and heavy-bodied, 15–22 mm, with a loud low buzz
Carries pollen packed onto the hind legs in visible bulging loads
Works flowers methodically and slowly, unbothered by people alongside it
Where you’ll find it
The common eastern bumblebee covers the eastern US; other Bombus species occur nationwide.
Gardens, meadows and field margins. Nests in cavities — old rodent burrows, under sheds, in compost heaps and wall insulation.
Queens emerge early spring; colonies through summer, gone by winter.
How it behaves
A small annual colony, usually a few hundred at most, founded each spring by a lone queen who has overwintered. They are among the few bees that buzz-pollinate — vibrating the flower to shake pollen loose — which makes them disproportionately important to tomatoes, blueberries and peppers. Nest defence exists but is mild and short-range compared with any social wasp, and a bumblebee foraging on a flower will let you stand beside it.
You’ve found one indoors
Leave the nest alone if you possibly can. It is small, it will be gone by autumn, it is never reused, and bumblebees are in enough trouble that a colony in a compost heap is worth tolerating for one season. If a nest is genuinely in the wrong place, get advice on relocation rather than treating it.
Common questions
Do bumblebees sting?
Females can, males cannot, and neither is inclined to. Unlike a honeybee the sting is not barbed, so a bumblebee survives stinging — it simply has very little reason to.
Is this a carpenter bee?
Check the abdomen. A bumblebee's is furry; a carpenter bee's is shiny and bare. If it is hovering fixedly near wooden eaves rather than working flowers, it is a carpenter bee.
There is a nest under my shed. Is it dangerous?
Very unlikely to be. Bumblebee colonies are small, mild and annual. Keep mowers and children a couple of metres clear and it will resolve itself by autumn.
Why is it huge and flying in early spring?
That is a queen, newly out of hibernation and looking for a nest site. She is on her own and the colony does not exist yet.
Kent P. McFarland · CC0