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© Lora Denis
American bumblebee © Thom Wilson
Half of the bumblebee species in eastern North America are in decline. This trend holds true in southern Ontario, where seven of the 14 bumblebee species found in surveys from 1971 – 1973 were found to be either absent or in decline when surveyed 30 years later. Some of these, like the rusty-patched, the gypsy cuckoo and the American bumblebee, were once common and/or widespread in parts of the province. The causes of decline are not fully understood, though it is widely accepted that habitat destruction and the use of pesticides are significant threats.
The rusty-patched bumblebee was once common and widespread in eastern North America, including southern Ontario. This species has declined dramatically since the 1970s and is now listed as endangered in Canada. Only a few specimens have been sighted in Ontario in recent years. Though the causes of decline are poorly understood, threats include habitat loss, exposure to pesticides and pathogens from non-native bumblebees used in greenhouses.
This large bumblebee once had an extensive range in Canada and was recorded in all provinces and territories except Nunavut. There has been a large decline in the past 20 – 30 years, and in 2014 the species was listed as endangered in Canada. It has not been found in Canada in recent years, and the last recorded sighting in Ontario dates back to 2008. The gypsy cuckoo bumblebee is a nest parasite of other bumblebees, including two species that are also in decline. Primary threats include the decline of these other “host” bumblebees, as well as pesticide use (particularly neonicotinoids) and pathogens from non-native bumblebees used in commercial greenhouses.
This above ground-nesting bumblebee is one of the most rapidly declining species in eastern North America. Studies in the U.S. show a significant range reduction and decline in abundance in recent years, even where it was once common. The American bumblebee inhabits open fields and grasslands, and is still found in a few sites in southern Ontario. In surveys performed near Guelph from 2004 – 2006, however, the species was completely absent, even though it had been documented in the region 30 years earlier.
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Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority
Hi
I work with Wild Bees conservation in Colombia. Now moving to canada for a whie I would like to work wth wild bees in Ontario, I’ll be in Temagami ON. Is there anyone who can provide me a contact?
We had to fix our shed floor, as it had rotted, and noticed a lot of bumblebees in the area going under the shed. There are many bees coming and going. We took down the shed, re did the floor and carefully as possible we tried not to distrurb them and put a new floor down. They flew all around us as we worked, and not one of us got stung! After the new floor was down, they had no way of getting out, so my husband drilled a hole large enough for them to pass through on the outside of the shed. I really hoped this would do the trick. I checked many times throughout the day, and it worked, as they now come and go a they please, and no one got hurt in the process. I am pleased to say, we saved the nest!
That is wonderful Linda,
We were really glad to hear this story.
Bumblebees rarely sting people, typically unless they are aggressively handled. What a wonderful example!
Many thanks for sharing this Linda!
ON Noah
I am interested in plantings that make bees happy but are more like ground cover that does not over spread OR require looking after!
I was unable to find the names of wildflowers we should be looking for to plant for our bees.
Can anyone out there help?
Hi Dolores, Feel free to take a look at our Ontario’s Pollinator Pals poster: https://www.ontarionature.org/PDFs/pollinator%20pals%208.5×13.5.pdf as a place to start. If you live in southwestern Ontario, here is a link to an in-depth planting guide: http://pollinator.org/PDFs/Guides/Ontario-Planting-Guides/LakeErieLowlands-2016.pdf. In general, you want to choose a variety of native plants that will provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. —ON Sarah
What seemed so strange was the fact that we live nowhere near a field or forest. We do, however, have lots of trees in the neighbourhood. The shed probably won’t come down now before the spring. We don’t want to harm the bees. That’s not my first choice, but we feel if we can do a little to assist them…so be it. We had planned to put a garden in where the shed now stands….guess we’ll have to wait and see what spring brings.
Thanks for your response.
Barb
We have bumble bees nesting under a shed. We are never outside when we don’t see one. I have seen as many as 5 at a time. We watch them go under the shed. We have also seen them trying to burrow in the grass blades. Could anyone tell us what to do? We were supposed to be taking the shed down, but don’t want to do anything to disturb the bumble bees.
Hi Barb,
As you mentioned, bumble bees make nests in leaf litter in meadows or in tall grass and under protective surfaces such as sheds or logs around the edges of fields or forests.
Your intentions are good and the bumble bees would appreciate your efforts not to disturb them, if they could. If you have plans to remove the shed, that is understandable. It may be best to remove the shed in winter so as not to disturb the bees after they have prepared the overwintering site. If you do not pave over the area and leave the area to renaturalize, the bumble bees may continue nesting there or may return to nest.
ON Noah
Have recently come across what I believe to be a large underground Nest or Hive of Bumblebees. I am not sure what kind they are as I don’t want to get too close!!
These bees need to be relocated or unfortunately terminated. As they are in a threatening location for the lady owner of an apartment Triplex in Oshawa Ontario is there anyone I can contact about having something done about them?
I really don’t want to exterminate them
I can be reached at attached Email address
Hi David,
Bumblebee nests complete their lifecycle (worker bees die off) at the end of the warm season, with the exception of the queen. She moves elsewhere and burrows underground for the winter to start a new nest from scratch next year. So the “problem” should take care of itself!
Meanwhile, keeping at least a meter away from the nest should be enough distance to avoid stings. The nest can be reported to a citizen science project called bumblebeewatch.org, where experts help identify the species and work to learn more about these amazing insects.
Several bumble bee species are at risk, so it is important to protect these pollinators wherever possible. Check out Ontario Nature’s Protect our Pollinators campaign for more information about helping our native pollinators co-exist with humans: https://www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/pollinators.php
ON Dana
Don’t know whether this is significant, but I saw a bumblebee feeding on clover here in Ancaster about 8:15 p.m., yesterday, July 18. Saw just one.
RJT
I saw some variety of bumblebee yesterday (07/16/2015) in LaSalle, Ontario. It was hanging out in a wild patch of tall, light purple flowers. I don’t have the exact dates, but I also saw 2 bumblebees around the start of July 2015, also in LaSalle. I tried the link for reporting sightings but had difficulty opening it.
I read recently that you can now download an app for your phone to report any sightings of bumble bees, however I’m not sure what this app is. I just wanted to report my sightings of 2 separate bumble bees, both in Amherstburg, Ontario. There is always one in my back yard, it seems to like the plants I have in my garden, the other sighting is at the Royal Canadian Legion. For the past 3 years I regularly see bumble bees in these locations.
Hi Kimberley,
Thanks for letting us know about your bumble bee sightings in Amherstberg!
You can always report your bumble bee sightings to Bumble Bee Watch (http://www.bumblebeewatch.org/), though we’re glad to hear news about which bumblebee species you’ve seen too!
Learn even more about the efforts Ontario Nature is taking to help protect our wild pollinators here: https://www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/pollinators.php
ON Noah