Don't worry, bee happy?

Anyone good at identifying bees? I took this photo in my garden and I'm not sure what it is... apart from a bee...

Hi Katie,

It looks like an Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) to me. Reddish tail, yellow collar and you can just about see a yellowish section behind its wings.

Chris

Thanks Chris, that's great. I really must learn more about bees...

I don't know anything about bees but I just wanted to say Wow, what a fantastic photo. I tried to take photos of the ones smothering my cotoneaster but they wouldn't stay still!

Yes, Chris is right. Bumble bees come in various sizes with various coloured bums! I believe it''s a red tailed bumble bee- I'm sure that's what Springwatch called it one year.

Beautiful picture Katie. Like you......to me it is a bee :o))))

Hi

My bee has a reddish bottom, but doesn't seen to have the yellow/black body.

paula (formerly pmc)

I don't know anything about bees but I just wanted to say Wow, what a fantastic photo. I tried to take photos of the ones smothering my cotoneaster but they wouldn't stay still!

Thanks Paula, that's very kind! They are hard to photograph... you have to wait til you find a cooperative one. But usually they just buzz off.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

Hi kathy,

Yours look to be the red-tailed bumble bee that someone mentioned earlier. The lack of the yellow on the body is, as you point out, the main difference between the two species and makes it easy to tell them apart.

chris andrews

Hi kathy,

Yours look to be the red-tailed bumble bee that someone mentioned earlier. The lack of the yellow on the body is, as you point out, the main difference between the two species and makes it easy to tell them apart.

Thanks Chris.

Hi Kathy

Two lovely photos, looked him up and he is a  ROCK BUMBLEBEE  (BOMBUS LAPIDARIUS)

Hey Snowbird, where are you from? In Britain, 'Bombus lapidarius' is the red-tailed bumblebee

chris andrews

Hey Snowbird, where are you from? In Britain, 'Bombus lapidarius' is the red-tailed bumblebee

Hi Snowbird,

Thanks for your reply.  Looks like I will not only be bird watching but bumble bee watching from now.  Didn't realise there were different varieties until this thread.  You certainly learn something all the time here.  The bee was not in my garden but a customers whose cats I was petsitting.  Lovely sunny morning sat in the garden with the cats with lots of beautiful flowers all around - couldn't resist taking my camera along with me.

Yes of course, and they are one and the same, but don't you think the latin names are so much nicer, as well as. I never did Latin but my Dad did and usually called plants, birds and bugs by their "proper" names, Afraid I use an old 70's book so maybe they have now lost the "Rock."  Have you never heared of the expression "Don't knock the Rock"  lol

Regards