Do Bumble Bees Make Honey?

Yes, Bumblebees do not make honey. But they produce only a small amount, which is not worth harvesting, and is used to help sustain the hive throughout the warmer months and only a short time. Whereas the whole Honey Bee nest survives the winter drawing upon it’s much larger reserves of food.  Bumblebees hibernate over the winter as single mated queens where upon when spring comes they find suitable nesting sites. This could be in a nest box or bundles of twigs or ventilated matter in a suitable location. The Honey that Bumblebees produce also has some very different qualities and would not taste the same as the honey we are used to from Honey Bees.

But of course Bumblebees play a big part in pollinating the flowers which in turn are used by the Honey Bees to make their honey. Providing Bumblebees with nesting places is a great way to help stimulate the insect life in your garden.

Bumblebees are part of the Bee genus Bombus and they are social insects. They are characterised by black and yellow stripes that run along their backs, however some species are just orange or red or maybe entirely black. Another distinguishing characteristic that is unique to bumblebees is the soft nature of the hair which is called the 'pile', and covers their entire body. This has the effect of making them here and feel fuzzy.