Bumblebees are social insects and can live in nests of up to 400 bees. Each nest has a queen and will last for only one year. Bumble bees rarely nest in the same location two years running.
Spring
In early spring the queen will emerge from a winter of hibernating to start a new nest. The first activity she has to do is to build up her energy reserves. It is very important she can find plenty of pollen and nectar rich flowers Once she has found a suitable nest site she will rear her first batch of eggs – a group of female worker bees whose job it will be to feed the growing colony.
Summer
Through out summer the queen will continue breeding bees. She may not even leave the nest during this time.
Towards the end of summer the queen produces male offspring and some new queens.
Autumn
After mating the males die off along with the old queens and her workers.
Winter
Only the new fertilized queens survive to hibernate through the winter and establish their own nests the following year.
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