Over 250 species of large, fuzzy, social bees, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. They can warm themselves by shivering, which lets them live in cold places up to the Arctic tundra. Colonies are much smaller than honey bee colonies, and each has a single queen.
Quick answers
What is it?Insect
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
Females can sting repeatedly but generally ignore humans and other animals.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Arctic, New Zealand, Australia
HabitatGrassland, Mountains, Polar
ColoursBlack, Yellow, Orange
SizeTiny
LengthB. terrestris workers 11–17 mm; B. dahlbomii up to 40 mm
Legs6
Covered inBristles
Lives incolonies
Lives for1 year
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Mostly the Northern Hemisphere, north to Greenland; also South America and North Africa; introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania.
- What it eats
- Nectar and pollen from flowers.
Did you know
Buzz-pollinates by vibrating at the right frequency to shake pollen loose.
Farmers use them to pollinate greenhouse tomatoes, which other pollinators cannot do.
The giant Chilean species has been called a “flying mouse” and “a monstrous fluffy ginger beast”.
Often confused with
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