The Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) is a common insect in the Apidae family of bees. It is also known as the Early-Nesting Bumblebee. It is a pollinator, because it collects pollen.
The Early Bumblebee has a rounded head and a yellow collar and yellow-reddish tail. It has black hairs on its abdomen.
It grows to about 1-2 centimeters (half to one inch) long.
The Early Bumblebee is native to the Northern Hemisphere in Europe and some parts of Asia. It is not found in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, or the steppes of eastern Europe. It prefers fields, park, scrublands, and forests.
It flies early in the season, from March to July, before other bee species.
The Early Bumblebee lives in colonies of about 150 individuals, with a queen bee, and worker bees.
The queen bee selects a nest site and worker bees build a large nest above gound and sometimes in bird boxes.
The Early Bumblebee has four stages in its life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
