# Sitka Bumble Bee (*Bombus sitkensis*) The Sitka Bumble Bee is a fuzzy little insect that loves to buzz around flowers. They help plants grow by spreading pollen, making them super important for nature! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Sitka Bumble Bee](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bombus_sitkensis1.jpg&width=800) Photo: James P. Strange, USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombus_sitkensis1.jpg) ## Appearance The Sitka Bumble Bee has a fuzzy body with bright yellow and black stripes, often featuring a striking reddish-orange band near the tip of its abdomen. Its head and thorax are usually mostly yellow, making it quite colorful and distinct from other bees. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Apidae - **Genus:** Bombus ## Interesting facts - A queen Sitka Bumble Bee starts an entire new colony all by herself each spring! - Bumble bees have five eyes, two big ones and three tiny ones in the middle! - Each bumble bee has a unique scent, like a secret family password, for its nest! - They use their long tongues like straws to sip sweet nectar from deep flowers! ## Special abilities - **Vibrating Pollen Power:** Sitka Bumble Bee can vibrate its flight muscles to shake pollen from flowers, helping them collect more food faster. - **Cold-Weather Champion:** Sitka Bumble Bee has a fuzzy coat and can shiver its muscles to generate heat, allowing it to fly in cooler temperatures. - **Honey Stomach Storage:** Sitka Bumble Bee has a special honey stomach to carry nectar back to its nest, providing food for the whole colony. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 25-40 mm - **Size:** 12-20 mm - **Lifespan:** 20-45 days - **Flight Speed:** 15 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 250 ## Diet & Feeding They drink nectar for energy and eat pollen for protein from many types of flowers! - **Primary Foods:** flower nectar, flower pollen, honeydew - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Fireweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fireweed) (*Epilobium angustifolium*) — Helps fireweed reproduce in its subalpine habitats. - **Eaten by:** [Black-billed Magpie](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-billed-magpie) (*Pica hudsonia*) — Magpies may prey on foraging bees or their nests. - **Parasitizes:** Indolent Cuckoo Bumble Bee (*Bombus insularis*) — Cuckoo bumble bees lay eggs in Sitka Bee nests, using their workers. - **Depends on:** [Arctic Lupine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/arctic-lupine) (*Lupinus arcticus*) — Relies on its nectar and pollen for food and colony growth. ## 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. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [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 Be gentle and watch from a distance; bees are busy and just want to collect pollen. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sitka 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 Sitka Bumble Bee's wingspan? 25-40 mm ### How big is Sitka Bumble Bee? 12-20 mm ### How long does Sitka Bumble Bee live? 20-45 days ### How fast can Sitka Bumble Bee fly? 15 km/h ### What does Sitka Bumble Bee eat? They drink nectar for energy and eat pollen for protein from many types of flowers! ### Where is Sitka Bumble Bee usually found? Forests ### How does Sitka Bumble Bee hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Saxman Totem Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saxman-totem-park) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Skagit Valley Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/skagit-valley-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Chemainus River Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chemainus-river-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Sitka Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sitka-bumble-bee) ## 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: [Sitka Bumble Bee: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sitka-bumble-bee)