Searching for Bumblebees (Bombus)
- Jen Falvy
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
It is spring. When reviewing photos of bumblebees from last year, I began wondering when they would emerge. Winter hibernation must be over so I imagined it would be soon. Pondering this thought and reading about bees, I began to organize some notes though somehow a poem worked its way into the process. As much as I tried to resist, once the lyrical quality emerged, it was impossible to ignore. So here it is - a poem. Neither good, nor bad, but a poem just the same - about the elusive bumblebee. I hope you enjoy it, and the writing that follows...
The Elusive Bumblebee
Written by Jen Falvy, copyright 2026
We see them buzzing
Through the garden
Often heard
Before in sight
Though once seen
It's hard to resist
So we follow along by eye
Watching them travel
From flower to flower
Tracking them as they go
Feeding on nectar
And gathering pollen
In a dash and buzz below
Gone
Before you know
As easy as arrived
Rarely
Do we ever see
The place not called a hive
But alas who's fault
We don't quite know
Where to even look
Unlike the more familiar place
Of a honey bee or hornet nest
The elusive bumblebee
She makes a home
So well hidden
Sometimes it is so close
All we need
To ever do
Is look right underfoot
Searching for Bumblebees
Written by Jen Falvy for Nature Gardens, 2026
The Bumblebee (Bombus) is native to Ontario along with over 400 other native bee species, and like most, the bumblebee is a ground dweller. Most species of native bees are excellent diggers and excavators, though the bumblebee is unique in that it does not dig nor excavate its own tunnel. It is different than other bees - it is a social bee, led by a queen, similar to honey bees - and this means that it lives in a colony, sometimes with hundreds of others. For this primary reason, it needs a nesting site that is much more spacious than the narrow tunnel it would likely have been able to dig.
The intelligent and resourceful bumblebee has found the perfect solution to this problem. It chooses to nest in the abandoned tunnels of ground burrowing animals; with the added benefit of the tunnels being lined with dry grasses and remnants of animal fur. And just to maintain their elusive nature, they never nest in the same place twice. Each year, even if their home was the finest, with all their needs being met; they still abandon the tunnel in search of a new home.
So when does all of this take place and when does the queen search for her new home?
Well, in spring of course, the most delightful time of all. Well, actually it first began in late fall when the queen abandoned her natal home as she set out, all on her own, timed with the coolness of autumn. At this time, the queen will search for a place to settle down for the duration of winter. She doesn't go far, nor need to go deep - sometimes she just nestles down under the protective cover of fallen leaves or burrows beneath the surface of loose soil - and this is where she will spend the long, cold, snow-covered months ahead. During this time she will enter a dormant stage called a 'diapause' which allows her to survive the freezing temperatures. Then each year, in early spring, the queen emerges from hibernation and along with replenishing her energy by feeding on spring blossoms, she will spend her days zig-zagging, low to the ground, in search of a new dwelling place.
For the queen bumblebee to start a new colony in spring is entirely dependent on the conditions in the landscape, and depends on two primary factors - having enough food sources available and having the right ground conditions. Both of these are factors depend on how we do our gardening, and landscaping each year.
If you would like your garden or backyard to be a more hospitable place for bumblebees, please follow along. I will also be sharing insights on various plants, soil conditions and garden practices. The ecology of the wild strawberry will be featured for its unique relationship to pollinators and other animals.
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