Common carder bee
Bombus pascuorum
Habitat
The Common carder bee is found in Europe and from Northern Asia to the Pacific Ocean. In the Netherlands, you’ll quickly find its habitat: flower-filled roadsides, gardens, city parks, and especially farmland. Wherever flowers bloom, the Common carder bee buzzes happily around.
Appearance
Life cycle
The Common carder bee is a unique bumblebee species that has only one generation per year. In spring, the queen awakens from hibernation. She will first feed on nectar and pollen before searching for a suitable spot for her nest. This can be anywhere: above ground or below ground—among moss, in a tree hollow, or even in an old nest box.
In mid-May, the first worker bees fly out to gather food, and the colony grows to 60 to 150 bumblebees. By mid-August, the nest is buzzing with energy, and the males and new queens emerge. As the days get shorter, the young queens mate and look for a safe place to hibernate.
What can you do?
To help the Common carder, plant flowers in your garden that provide plenty of nectar and pollen, such as Dead-nettles (Lamium), Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Common self-heal (Prunella arvensis), Black horehound (Ballota nigra meridionalis), Field rose (Rubus arvensis), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Devil’s-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis), Livingstone daisy (Cleretum bellidiforme), Brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea), Butterfly-bush (Buddleja davidii), Common heather (Calluna vulgaris), Field scabious (Knautia arvensis), European blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), Lavender (Lavandula), and plants from the Legume family (Fabaceae) and Mint family (Lamiaceae).
The Common carder bee likes to nest in cluttered areas: among grass, moss, or under shrubs. So feel free to leave a bit of the garden a little wilder or leave leaves and twigs behind.
Caution with some plant species
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is poisonous and can cause liver damage if ingested. This plant is also carcinogenic if ingested.
The flowers, leaves, and roots of the Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) are edible. The stems, however, are not.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) contains toxins that can cause skin irritation and heart rhythm disturbances. It is important to wash your hands thoroughly when touching foxglove.
