Who is seeing bumble bees? I saw two in the orchard yesterday, my first for the year. Both were queens of the while-tailed bumble bee, Bombus lucorum.

Bombus%20lucorum%20CRYPTARUM..jpg

The buff-tailed (or earth) bumble bee, Bombus terrestris, is often up and about earlier in the year, but I haven't seen any this year. Queens can be massive and their buff tails and less bright yellow bands make them easily identified.

20080409-Buff-tailed-bumble..gif