# Tricolored Bumble Bee (*Bombus ternarius*) The Tricolored Bumble Bee is a fuzzy little insect that helps flowers grow by spreading pollen. They have a special black, yellow, and orange color pattern that makes them easy to spot in gardens. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 11 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Tricolored Bee ![Tricolored Bumble Bee](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bombus_ternarius.jpg&width=800) Photo: Beatriz Moisset, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombus_ternarius.jpg) ## Appearance The Tricolored Bumble Bee has a distinctive fuzzy body with black, bright yellow, and reddish-orange bands. Its head is black, followed by a yellow patch on the thorax, then a black band, and finally a prominent yellow, reddish-orange, and black pattern on the abdomen, making it easily recognizable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Apidae - **Genus:** Bombus ## Interesting facts - Even without ears, they can sense danger by feeling vibrations through their legs! - Queens decide if their eggs become male or female bees, controlling the colony's future! - The queen bee starts the entire colony by herself after waking up from winter hibernation! - These bees have tiny 'pollen baskets' on their back legs to carry flower goodness home! ## Special abilities - **Buzz Pollination:** Tricolored Bumble Bee can vibrate its flight muscles to release pollen from flowers, which helps them collect more food efficiently. - **Cold Warrior:** Tricolored Bumble Bee has a dense coat of fur that helps them stay warm, allowing them to forage in cooler weather than most bees. - **Spatial Memory:** Tricolored Bumble Bee can remember flower locations and flight paths, which helps them find food resources quickly each day. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 20-45 mm - **Size:** 9-19 mm - **Lifespan:** 20-40 days - **Flight Speed:** 15 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 200 ## Diet & Feeding These fuzzy bees sip sweet nectar for energy and collect pollen for protein! - **Primary Foods:** nectar, pollen, clover, goldenrod, aster, blueberry - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Red Clover](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-clover) (*Trifolium pratense*) — An important food source for adults and larvae. - **Pollinates:** [Canada Goldenrod](https://www.snappit.app/explore/canada-goldenrod) (*Solidago canadensis*) — Provides crucial late-season nectar and pollen. - **Parasitizes:** Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee (*Bombus bohemicus*) — Lays eggs in their nests, having its young raised. - **Pollinates:** [Cranberry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cranberry) (*Vaccinium macrocarpon*) — Crucial pollinator for commercial fruit production. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Kingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-kingbird) (*Tyrannus tyrannus*) — These birds often catch flying insects, including bees. ## 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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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 Bumble bees are usually friendly, but it's best to watch them from a distance and not disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tricolored 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 Tricolored Bumble Bee's wingspan? 20-45 mm ### How big is Tricolored Bumble Bee? 9-19 mm ### How long does Tricolored Bumble Bee live? 20-40 days ### How fast can Tricolored Bumble Bee fly? 15 km/h ### What does Tricolored Bumble Bee eat? These fuzzy bees sip sweet nectar for energy and collect pollen for protein! ### Where is Tricolored Bumble Bee usually found? Grasslands ### How does Tricolored Bumble Bee hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Chenango Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chenango-canal) — New York, US · Historic Site - [Enfield Shaker Museum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/enfield-shaker-museum) — New Hampshire, US · Museum - [Bayley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bayley-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Hancock Shaker Village](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hancock-shaker-village) — Massachusetts, US · Museum - [International Peace Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-peace-garden) — US · Botanical Garden - [Kents Corner Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kents-corner-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District [View all places to see Tricolored Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tricolored-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: [Tricolored Bumble Bee: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tricolored-bumble-bee)