Bumblebee in ground

[Hector]

forgot to ask, do bees use the same nest each year? Wondering if we need to keep oil pipe in where we have it now, instead of planned route. We couldn't risk harming them. ( BTW they havent got yellow stripes but are gingery stripes with black and are smaller than the usual bumble bees I see. Looks like they are using an old vole tunnel

[Hector]

[Robert_Brenchley]

They make a new nest each year. This time of year, most worker bumblebees are small since the queen is on her own raising the first generation of brood. As the colony grows, they raise bees in a range of sizes.

[Hector]

That's good news. As mush as I love the bees it will be nice to be able to move the oil pipe to intended position and dig out an extra three beds. We can wait till next year and enjoy watching their comings and goings. ;D