05/20/2026
Happy Bee Day! Plant native flowering plants!
Today is World Bee Day!
They are 20,000 different bees in the world, about 4000 are native to the United States, with 1600 different species found in California!
Now let’s talk about bumblebees!
They are one of the groups of native bees. “The body of a bumble bee generally has lots of black hair with contrasting bands of yellow, red, or white. Different species have different color patterns. Bumble bees are as large as or larger than honeybees.”
California Bees & Blooms (by G. Frankie et al, Heyday Press, 2014) tells us that ten of the 26 native bumble bee species have been found in residential gardens, but only three are common.
🔹The Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenkii)
🔹The California Bumble Bee (B. californicus)
🔹The Black-Tailed Bumble Bee (B. melanopygus)
In this photo is a Yellow-Faced Bumblebee who moves relatively slowly among the flowers, compared to other bees. You can recognize them by their fuzzy chunky bodies and yellow bands on their backs and abdomens. You can also identify it by its bright yellow facial hair. The female bumble bees’ hind legs will widen to form pollen baskets (corbicula) that are filled with pollen.
Learn more about bumblebees here: https://ucanr.edu/blog/real-dirt/article/bumble-bees-garden
Photo description: female Yellow-Faced Bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii) at a yellow lupine.
