# Common Carder Bumble Bee (*Bombus pascuorum*) The Common Carder Bumble Bee is a fuzzy little bee that loves to collect pollen from flowers. They are important for helping plants grow by spreading pollen around. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Common Carder Bumble Bee](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bombus_pascuorum_%28male%29_-_Medicago_x_varia_-_Keila.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombus_pascuorum_%28male%29_-_Medicago_x_varia_-_Keila.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Carder Bumble Bee is distinguished by its dense, ginger-brown hair covering its entire body, giving it a uniform fuzzy appearance. Unlike many other bumblebees, it lacks distinct dark bands. This overall tawny coloration makes it easily recognizable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Apidae - **Genus:** Bombus ## Interesting facts - Some bumblebee queens can choose if their offspring will be male or female! - Their long tongues let them drink nectar from deep, tube-shaped flowers. - They often nest on the surface of the ground in old mouse nests! - Unlike honeybees, bumblebees can sting multiple times without dying. ## Special abilities - **Vibration Pollinator:** Common Carder Bumble Bees can shake pollen free from flowers using powerful wing vibrations, helping plants reproduce. - **Fuzzy Thermostat:** This bee's dense fur coat helps them stay warm in cool weather and prevents overheating, extending their foraging time. - **Sweet Scent Seeker:** Common Carder Bumble Bees find nectar-rich flowers by detecting subtle floral scents, guiding them to food sources. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 20-30 mm - **Size:** 9-18 mm - **Lifespan:** 14-365 days - **Flight Speed:** 18 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 100 ## Diet & Feeding These fuzzy flyers sip nectar for energy and collect pollen for their young! - **Primary Foods:** nectar, pollen - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Red Clover](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-clover) (*Trifolium pratense*) — An important food source, especially for their long tongues. - **Pollinates:** [Honeysuckle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/honeysuckle) (*Lonicera periclymenum*) — They help pollinate this climbing, fragrant plant. - **Eaten by:** [European Badger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-badger) (*Meles meles*) — Badgers sometimes dig up and eat their underground nests. - **Parasitizes:** Cuckoo Bumblebee (*Bombus campestris*) — This cuckoo bumblebee lays its eggs in Common Carder nests. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Don't touch bees, but enjoy watching them from a distance! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Carder Bumble Bee? Compare the antennae, wings, waist, body hair and legs. Yellow and black stripes show up on bees, wasps and harmless mimics alike. Bee & Wasp Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Common Carder Bumble Bee's wingspan? 20-30 mm ### How big is Common Carder Bumble Bee? 9-18 mm ### How long does Common Carder Bumble Bee live? 14-365 days ### How fast can Common Carder Bumble Bee fly? 18 km/h ### What does Common Carder Bumble Bee eat? These fuzzy flyers sip nectar for energy and collect pollen for their young! ### Where is Common Carder Bumble Bee usually found? Grasslands ### How does Common Carder Bumble Bee hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Botanischer Garten Halle (Saale)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanischer-garten-halle-saale) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park - [Hastedter Park am Weserwehr (Bremen)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hastedter-park-am-weserwehr-bremen) — Bremen, DE · Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Common Carder Bumble Bee: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-carder-bumble-bee)