Bumblebee

Bumblebee, insect belonging to the family Apidae, subfamily Bombinae, having a hairy coat, typically black with orange or yellow stripes, and a sting. Bumble bees range in length from 0.6 to 1 in (1.5 to 2.5 cm). They are social insects, living in colonies consisting of a queen, workers (females), and drones (males). In spring the queen comes out of hibernation and finds a nesting place. She begins laying eggs that develop into worker bees. All summer the workers gather pollen and care for the hive. At the end of summer unfertilized eggs, produced by either the queen or the workers, develop into drones; the colony also rears new queens. Once mature, these queens leave the nest, mate, and find a place to hibernate, while the old colony dies out.