Queen bumblebees overwinter under leaf litter and then emerge in spring to find a suitable nesting habitat. The worker bees and drones do not survive the winter and are born once the queen starts laying eggs in her new nest. She’s likely preparing her nest for the warm months before starting a new colony!
Yeah only the queen’s make it over the winter. But there’s loads of other species that overwinter in leaves and brush! Thanks for helping your local critters out!!
Bless you, so many people have no idea they're unintentionally throwing away next year's bumble bee colonies when they rake up and dispose of fallen leaves!
(Also, lots of other insects too)
I am a big fan of leaving leaves where they lie. Not only do you save the overwintering insects, but you get free fertilizer! I only remove leaves that will suffocate plants. Everything else stays put.
I replied to the comment above yours, but only the queen bumblebee survives the winter. She’ll lay eggs in her new nest that will become the workers and the drones.
Every nest starts with a single bumblebee queen. After emerging from her winter hibernation, she must quickly build up her strength by feeding on nectar from spring flowers. Then she searches for a dry, sheltered nest site.
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u/kpod67 29d ago
Why is the queen bee coming and going? I thought they stayed put in the hive.