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BIG BUMBLE #880475

Asked August 06, 2024, 11:35 PM EDT

I heard this bumblebee before I saw it. This bee is bigger than my thumb. It did not sit still for very long and the pics are not that great but I'm hoping you can tell me what kind of bee this is specifically in the bumble family. The bees back was practically all yellow if that helps. I can't attach a jpeg picture. I want to send a picture but I can't put it in a PDF file from my phone. Can I email someone else personally using gmail?

Washington County Oregon

Expert Response

Here's pics

On Tue, Aug 6, 2024, 8:35 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

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YOUR QUESTION #0150393:

BIG BUMBLE

I heard this bumblebee before I saw it. This bee is bigger than my thumb. It did not sit still for very long and the pics are not that great but I'm hoping you can tell me what kind of bee this is specifically in the bumble family. The bees back was practically all yellow if that helps. I can't attach a jpeg picture. I want to send a picture but I can't put it in a PDF file from my phone. Can I email someone else personally using gmail?

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The Question Asker Replied August 06, 2024, 11:49 PM EDT
Absolutely. What a beautiful bee. What side of the Cascades are you? If you are on the west side it is absolutely the Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis). It is probably a brand new queen, who is preparing for winter by building her fat reserves. She will find a place to hibernate in a few weeks and will start a new nest next spring. Here is more on this bee:
https://washingtonbumblebees.org/bumblebee-field-id/black-hind-abdomen/nevada-bumble-bee-bombus-nevadensis/
Yep that was her. Absolutely stunning and huge. She looked too big to fly.

So are they commonly seen west of the cascades, Portland Oregon Metro area? I'm in Tigard and that's where I saw her.

I have one plot in my community garden that is 90% flowers in the winter I usually just leave everything there as it died I don't clean anything up for shelter,  nesting bugs, hibernation,  etc...

Where does this type of bumble hibernate? I know I can Google it too. I will look there also. I would definitely love to see more of this type of Bumblebee around.

Thanks!!

On Wed, Aug 7, 2024, 4:55 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied August 07, 2024, 8:04 PM EDT
On the east side there is a bumble bee that Nevada bumble bee can be confused with, but on the westside there is no question of what bee it is. It is not our most common bumble bee, but it is pretty common. The mated females (known as gynes) will start wintering in the early fall. They do not have strong mouth parts, so they like loose material to bury into, like sawdust or duff.  

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