Saw my first bombus today

[Naturenutz]

Saw my first bee of the year today,was one of the bombus bees.2 deep orange bands and a lighter band on the tail tip.Was very active at ground level.I think it was either Terrestris or lucorum.Time to unpack my overwintered camera .

[aeshna5]

I suspect B. terrestris.

[Geoff F]

If the coloured bands were a darkish yellow/orange then B. terrestris sounds the most likely.

This dry and slightly warmer weather is slowly beginning to produce results.

[Naturenutz]

Thanks geoff and aeshna,i often got confused with terrestris and lucorum last year.Any tips on how to tell these apart ? Or i will be constantly confuzled all year again

[Dogghound]

The workers and males are very hard and often the best way is to look at features under a microscope (genitals etc). Queens can be told apart by the dull orange thorax hair on terrestris compared to the lemon yellow of lucorum. terrestris has a browny white tail tip, lucorum has a bright white one. lucorum is also slightly smaller.

[Naturenutz]

Thanks dogghound. the bee today had a brown/white tip,so that would confirm terrestris.The other tips will be useful.cheers