Garden Bumblebee
Bombus hortorum

Bombus hortorum, the garden bumblebee or small garden bumblebee, is a species of bumblebee found in most of Europe north to 70°N, as well as parts of Asia and New Zealand. It is distinguished from most other bumblebees by its long tongue used for feeding on pollen in deep-flowered plants. Accordingly, this bumblebee mainly visits flowers with deep corollae, such as deadnettles, ground ivy, vetches, clovers, comfrey, foxglove, and thistles. They have a good visual memory, which aids them in navigating the territory close to their habitat and seeking out food sources. Source
Where it is now
No records in the last 8 weeks. It may be out of season where the observers and sensors are.
See the Garden Bumblebee on the live map
Movement and weather
Over the weeks it was present in the past year, its centre in Europe ranged from 51°N in March to 62°N in July, about 1,300 km apart.
Arrival dates
The week it was first heard regularly in each region, after at least six weeks away. Dates differ from south to north, so a region has a range.
| Region | First arrival | Last arrival | Typical peak | Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 2 March 2026 | 18 May 2026 | 18 May 2026 | 3 |
Figures are effort corrected and come from automatic sound identification, which makes mistakes. How this is measured and how it compares with human observers.