02/21/2026
Well, technically bumble bees don't hibernate. They go into a state called diapause, which is more of a state of suspension than a metabolic slow down like mammals experience during hibernation.
Bumbly fun fact: Bumble bee colonies colonies don't hunker down and ride out the winter like honey bees do. Actually, they all die off when winter hits except for the new queens that were just born at the end of the summer. These young queens - called gynes - bury themselves in leaf litter, mulch or soft earth and enter a state of diapause until the weather warms up the following spring.
Two great (and easy!) ways to help bumble bees: Leave the leaves and mulch in your garden in the fall - you might accidently be raking away the next generation of bumble bees! Try to plant some very early blooming native plants (spring ephemerals) so these little ladies have something to eat after emerging from their long, winter's nap.
Learn about the bumble bee's life cycle and more in my educational coloring book available on Amazon!
