Bumble Bee Identification & Control

Quick Identification

• Size: About ½ to 1 inch long
• Color: Black with yellow (sometimes orange) fuzzy bands; entire body covered in dense hair
• Key Features: Round, robust, visibly fuzzy body; thick pollen baskets on hind legs; relatively slow, buzzing flight; nests in ground cavities, old rodent burrows, or dense grass
• Distinguishing Trait: Fuzzy abdomen distinguishes from carpenter bees (which have a smooth, shiny abdomen)
• Active Season: Spring through fall
• Risk Level: Low — not aggressive; will sting only when directly threatened or nest is disturbed; BENEFICIAL POLLINATOR

Leave Them Alone If You Can

Bumble bees are among the most important pollinators in Illinois, and their populations have been declining in recent decades. Unlike yellow jackets and other aggressive wasps, bumble bees are not aggressive. They’ll sting only if they feel directly threatened — stepped on, grabbed, or if their nest is disturbed. Their sting is painful but they’re reluctant to use it.

Bumble bees nest in the ground, typically in abandoned rodent burrows, under dense vegetation, or in protected cavities at ground level. Their colonies are small compared to yellow jackets or honeybees — usually 50 to 200 workers. They’re most visible on flowering plants where they’re busy collecting pollen, and their deep buzzing is a familiar sound in gardens throughout Will and DuPage counties.

We include bumble bees in this guide not because they’re a pest, but because homeowners sometimes mistake them for carpenter bees and request treatment. The key difference is the abdomen: bumble bees are fuzzy all over, while carpenter bees have a smooth, shiny black abdomen. If you see large fuzzy bees visiting your flowers, they’re bumble bees, and they’re doing your garden a favor. If you see large bees drilling holes in your wood trim, those are carpenter bees — a different situation entirely.

If a bumble bee nest is located in a high-traffic area where stinging encounters are likely (under a porch step, in a playground area), it may need to be relocated. Contact a local beekeeper or pollinator-friendly pest service for assistance before considering elimination.

Sanctuary Pest Control — Plainfield, IL — 815-993-3472 — sanctuarypestcontrol.com

Pest-Free Equals Worry-Free