The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) is a collaborative body of over 140 organizations that work for the Bumblebee Facts protection of pollinators across Canada, Mexico Globally, there are about 250 described species and the United States. of bumblebees. They are found primarily in the The NAPPC Bombus Task Force, with further Bumblebees temperate zones of North and South America, and support from Wildlife Preservation Canada,

Photo Jessica Forrest Eurasia. produced this brochure for your use and information. Bumblebees are documented to pollinate many Photo Sheila Colla are Essential important food crops. They are also more effective Rusty-patched bumblebee, Bombus affinis than honeybees at pollinating crops grown in For more information and resources greenhouses. Rusty-Patched Bumblebee, or to order more brochures contact Pollinator Partnership When most insects are inactive due to cold Bombus affinis [email protected] temperatures bumblebees are able to fly by Canada’s endangered species 415-362-1137 warming their flight muscles by shivering, www.pollinator.org enabling them to raise their body temperature as Helping Pollinators necessary for flight. The rusty-patched bumblebee is a newly or listed endangered species in Canada and the Instead of starting their own colonies, some first federally listed bee in North America. Wildlife Preservation Canada Thrive bumblebee species have evolved to take over This species is on the brink of extinction [email protected] another species’ colony to rear their young. throughout its large range. In Canada, only 1-800-956-6608, These ‘cuckoo’ bees then use the workers from three individuals have been found in the past 10 www.wildlifepreservation.ca the queen-less colony to feed and care for their years with the only currently known population offspring. occurring at Pinery Provincial Park. Some bumblebees are known to rob flowers of Wildlife Preservation Canada is working to their nectar. Nectar robbing occurs when a bee find wild populations ofBombus affinisas part extracts nectar from a flower without coming into of their Pollinators-At-Risk Initiative. To find contact with its reproductive parts (i.e. anthers out more and to be part of the solution visit and/or stigma), usually by biting a hole at the base www.wildlifepreservation.ca. NAPPC of the flower. Photo Leif Richardson Other Bumblebees Bumblebees are effective buzz pollinators of in decline several economically important plants in the family Solanaceae such as tomato, bell pepper and eggplant. In buzz pollination bees extract pollen Yellow-banded bumblebee, from a flower by vibrating against the flower’s Bombus terricola Prepared by the Photo Ron Hemberger anthers, making an audible buzzing noise. Bombus Task Force of the Currently, the Common Eastern bumblebee North American Pollinator Protection (Bombus impatiens) is the only species being Campaign (NAPPC) commercially reared for pollination services in American bumblebee, Canadian Version North America, despite the fact that it is only Bombus pensylvanicus native to the eastern U.S. and Canada. Bumblebee Life Cycle to a larval female by a young worker. The division of labour in honeybees is primarily The primary function of the nest is to house determined by the quality of food, such as royal all members of the colony, particularly jelly, fed to a larval female by nurse bees. developing bees in cocoons (globular sacs in Bumblebees do not communicate floral resources the picture below) laid by the queen. Empty to other bumblebee foragers at the nest. cocoons are used to store nectar and pollen that are replenished by foraging bumblebees. Honeybees are able to communicate the location Below is a bumblebee nest of Bombus of floral resources to other foragers at the nest by a impatiens, which is common in much of complex ‘waggle dance’. Eastern North America. Bumblebees at Risk?

Recent research in Canada and the United States has shown that some bumblebee species are in trouble. One species, the Rusty-patched Bumblebee (Bombus affinis), is known to be in decline throughout its range, and at least five others are suspected to be in decline. These

include the Yellow-Banded Bumblebee (Bombus Photo Leah Lewis Photo Steve Buchmann terricola), American Bumblebee (Bombus weather adapted and are likely affected by pensylvanicus), Franklin Bumblebee (Bombus Bumblebees vs. long-term changes in weather patterns. What you can do to help franklini), Western Bumblebee (Bombus Honeybees: occidentalis), and Ashton Cuckoo Bumblebee • Pathogen Spillover – The use of managed protect bumblebees: What’s the Difference? (Bombus ashtoni). Researchers are currently bumblebees for pollination of greenhouse working to determine the causes of these declines, crops has lead to the spillover of disease from • Plant pollen- and nectar-rich plants Bumblebee colonies last only but some possible factors include: managed to wild bumblebees. in your garden one year. • Habitat Loss – Bumblebees need three types Honeybee colonies can last • Pesticide Use – These chemicals are meant to • Provide habitat for bumblebees of habitat, all of which may be threatened more than one year. affect pests but may have harmful effects on

Photo Sheila Colla by urbanization and other forms of land bumblebees as they forage from treated Bumblebee • Buy organic and locally produced Bumblebees typically nest alteration: plants as well as untreated plants. underground in rodent burrows, food • A suitable underground area for nesting and sometimes on the ground (e.g. abandoned rodent burrows) Resources surface. • Join citizen-science efforts to track • A site for overwintering (i.e. mulch and Managed honeybees nest inside bee www.savethebumblebees.com bumblebees

Photo Steve Buchmann rotting logs) boxes; feral honeybees Honeybee www.wildlifepreservation.ca typically nest in tree cavities. • An abundance of wildflowers for food from • Support bumblebee conservation spring through fall The division of labour in bumblebees is www.pollinatorpartnership.ca efforts primarily determined by the quantity of food fed • Climate Change – These fuzzy bees are cold- www.xerces.org/bumblebees/