Winter-Active Bumblebees
For most bumblebees species, winter is a time for hibernation. Indeed, queens can be expected to spend about half of their life in hibernation! But for the Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), winter can be just as busy a time as the rest of the year. In the warmer parts of the UK, fully active winter colonies of this species are regularly recorded, even when temperatures are close to freezing and there is snow on the ground.