Large bumblebees

[paulinemiller10]

Found one of these large bumbles feeding on meadow land a few years ago, she was one of the biggest bumbles I ve seen, and I ve just seen another in my garden this week, and another even bigger the day before, they must be queen bumbles, so would they be queens out of hibernation looking to nest, or would they be this years queens, seems a bit early for new queens? Pauline.

[jaguarondi]

I assume (rightly or wrongly) that queens seen at flowers now are ones that have established a colony and are helping with pollen collection. Once the colony is well-established she will stay in the nest.

[paulinemiller10]

Thanks for replying jaguarondi, I think you must be right, I have seen the workers on the flowers, they are just like the queens but about half the size, I saved one of these queen bumbles a couple of years ago and let her go in my garden and since then I have these bumbles visiting, but the queen I saved was no way near the size of this years bumble, I wonder if they grow bigger if there is more food about, there's such a lot to learn about these bees.
Pauline.