Autumn and winter can be a challenging time for bumblebees … but we can all do something to help these hard-working pollinators survive and thrive. 🍁 In autumn, bumblebee colonies come to their natural end, and newly-mated queens search for places to hibernate. 🐝 However, for some bumblebees, like the Buff-tailed bumblebee, winter can be just as busy. ❄️ In warmer parts of the UK, active winter colonies of the Buff-tailed bumblebee are recorded frequently – even in near freezing temperatures.

Help us caption this video 🐝 Spring 2026 arrives in just under two months. What are you most looking forward to this spring? 🔎🐝 Buff-tailed bumblebee 🎥 Helen King | Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Eek! 2025 is almost over, so what have bumblebees been up to this year? ❄️ Bumblebee queens spend the entire winter hibernating alone in the soil. 👑 They emerge from hibernation in spring, when rising temperatures and longer days wake them. 💤 When a queen emerges, she spends some time resting to wake up properly. 🌷 Once fully awake, she feeds on flowers to gain energy. 🏠 Then begins the search for a suitable nest site: holes in the ground, long grass, bird boxes and beneath garden sheds. 🌼