A glimpse into the world of bumblebees

Nature can be cruel.

I was on a walk scouting for badger setts when I came across a bumblebee nest. I had found a bumblebee nest the previous week and had tried to work out what species inhabited it, so it was with some (naive) confidence that I declared that this second nest belonged to the white-tailed bumblebee.  (Besides, this species is one of the more common of the bumblebees, so it's not like this claim is far-fetched.)

From my reading I can tell you that both Bombus lucorum, the white-tailed bumblebee and B. terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee both nest underground and the workers of these species look exceedingly similar, with the queen showing the more characteristic white- or buff-coloured bottom.  I saw a large bee, which I believe (again, potentially naively on my part) to be a queen, with a white bottom, hence determining them to be B. lucorum.

Back to the event: there was a large number of bees crawling on the ground at the entrance to an old rabbit hole; one or two had already died but most looked to be in the throes of dying. Several had holes in their abdomens so I guessed the cause of death was parasitism; what I then cannot explain is why so many of them were dying at the same time. Perhaps the colony was just coming to its natural end.

I wish I knew more about bees; they are fascinating creatures. If anyone reading this wants a recommendation, I really like the books by Dave Goulson for bee stories and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's 'Bumblebees: an introduction' for identification.  

I should mention photography in a wildlife photography blog. I did not take any decent images of the dying bees; instead I collected three of the cocoons that were scattered outside the rabbit hole, after coming back to the nest and convincing myself they were not viable. And I think they make a better photo than one of a dead bee would, whilst still telling a story. I think the cocoons are beautiful, like a fossilised egg of striking amber hue. Nature’s Fabergé.

Edit [October 2020]: I am thrilled to say that an image I submitted of one of these cocoons has been shortlisted in the Luminar Bug Photography Awards, in the bug homes category. I decided that I preferred a black background for the competition entry. I hope you like it.