Hobbies And Interests
Queen's Roles
The role of a bumblebee depends on its type and designation within the colony. In all species of bumblebee colonies, queens rank No. 1. There is no king in the colony and each queen is responsible for reproducing the next generation. In spring, when the other members of the colony have collected enough pollen, the queen will begin to mate and lay eggs. The queen will lay eggs in groups of six. The queen also makes the cocoon that houses the eggs.
Worker Bees
Worker bees within the colony are completely female. These very hardworking bees have more than one task they're always doing. Their main responsibility is collecting pollen for food. Other roles also exist though, including caring for the grubs that emerge from the eggs of the queen. These bees also help with routine maintenance across the hive. Worker bees -- like the queen -- have stingers; although, unlike honeybees, bumblebees do not die after stinging.
Drone Bees
The remaining bees are all males. They have a relatively easy job in the hive; each male's sole responsibility is to mate with the queen as soon as she becomes receptive. As might be imagined, there are fewer drones than worker bumblebees. Drone bees lack the stinger that both queens and worker bees have.
Finding Food
The most critical task performed within any given beehive is the collection of food. Reproduction doesn't even begin until the hive collects enough food to signal that reproduction can begin. Bees are drawn to flowers containing pollen through several methods. For example, many flowers display patterns on petals which are invisible to humans but can be seen by insects, including bees, that can view a broader spectrum of light. The bees see the patterns, and are attracted to the flower and pollen. They also secrete pheromones so others in the colony can quickly find the food source.
Recent Decline
Unusual declines have recently been uncovered in some populations of bumblebees. According to a 2007 Fox News interview, Robbin Thorp, an entomology professor at the University of California, discussed two species on both coasts that are rapidly declining, and another species that vanished with very little notice. Although the cause is up for debate, what is certain is that 15 percent of crops within the U.S. are fertilized by bumblebee populations -- meaning a rapid decline could have costly consequences.