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What the sources say

Buff-Tailed BumblebeeBombus terrestris

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Buff-Tailed Bumblebee profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 54 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

Profile updated

Source
01

Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Can you bust these seven bumblebee myths? Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The page saystags: venomous
The source saysTrue! Only female bees (queens and workers) can sting, males cannot.Note: task #1096: the Trust's page is about bumblebees as a group, which includes this species; no species page states the sting
The page saystags: venomous
The source saysBumblebees have smooth stingers which allows them to fly away easily and eject less venom.

Source
02

The Wildlife Trusts

Buff-tailed bumblebee. The Wildlife Trusts.

The page saysbites holes in flowers to steal nectar
The source saysif they come across a flower that is too deep for their tongue, they bite a hole at its base and suck out the nectar
The page saysnests underground in colonies of up to 600
The source saysThey nest underground in large groups of up to 600 beesNote: tagline
The page saysNectar robbing: it bites a hole at the base of a flower too deep for its short tongue and sucks out the nectar
The source saysif they come across a flower that is too deep for their tongue, they bite a hole at its base and suck out the nectarNote: stats.superpower
The page sayshas a short tongue, and some flowers are too deep for it
The source saysif they come across a flower that is too deep for their tongueNote: body
The page saysbite a hole at the base of the flower and suck out the nectar
The source saysthey bite a hole at its base and suck out the nectar
The page saysit is known as a "nectar robber"
The source saysBuff-tailed bumblebees are known as ‘nectar robbers’Note: body
The page saysOther insects then use the hole too
The source saysAfterward, other insects looking for nectar will also use this handy hole.Note: body
The page saysprefers open, daisy-like ones, where the nectar is easier to reach
The source saysThey love all types of flowers but especially open, daisy-like flowers, where they can more easily reach the nectar with their short tongues.Note: body
The page saysone of the UK's biggest bumblebees
The source saysBuff-tailed bumblebees are one of our biggest bumblebeesNote: Wildlife Trusts is a UK charity; 'our' is the UK
The page saysat 2.0 to 2.2 cm long
The source saysStatistics Length: 2.0-2.2cmNote: body
The page saysThe name comes from the buff-coloured tail of the queen
The source saysThey are named after the buff-coloured tail of their queenNote: body
The page saysNests sit underground, often in old mammal nests
The source saysThey nest underground in large groups of up to 600 bees, often using old mammal nests.Note: body
The page saysthe Wildlife Trusts say up to 600 bees
The source saysThey nest underground in large groups of up to 600 beesNote: body
The page saysit bites a hole at the base of the flower and sucks out the nectar
The source saysthey bite a hole at its base and suck out the nectarNote: vibe.reason animal clause; same quote as the body claim

Source
03

Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The page saysA short-tongued bumblebee
The source saysThis species has a short tongueNote: tagline
The page sayshas a short tongue
The source saysThis species has a short tongueNote: body
The page saysIt struggles with long, tubular flowers
The source saysit struggles with long, tubular flowers due to the short tongueNote: body
The page sayslists it among the "Big Eight" common and widespread bumblebees in the UK
The source saysThis is one of the Big Eight common and widespread bumblebees.Note: UK species guide
The page saysWorkers have white tails
The source saysworkers and males have white tailsNote: BCT; Wildlife Trusts says 'almost white'
The page saysthe workers of this species and the white-tailed bumblebee generally cannot be told apart
The source saysGenerally, the workers of these two species cannot be told apart.Note: 'these two species' = buff-tailed and white-tailed (B. lucorum)
The page saysputs a big nest at around 350 workers
The source saysNests can be large and have around 350 workers.Note: body
The page saysIn the UK, queens are some of the first to emerge, in late winter or early spring, and can be seen from February
The source saysBuff-tailed bumblebee queens are some of the first queens to emerge in late winter/early spring and can be seen from February onwards.Note: BCT is a UK species guide
The page saysIn southern parts of the UK, and in cities further north, the species can also be winter-active
The source saysIn southern parts of the UK, as well as in cities further north, this species can also be winter-active.
The page saysnests are established in October or November
The source saysNests are established in October-NovemberNote: body
The page saysworkers forage all winter on Mahonia and other winter-flowering plants
The source saysworkers can be seen foraging all winter on Mahonia and other winter-flowering plantsNote: body
The page saysA nest runs for three to four months
The source saysthe three to four month nesting periodNote: faq
The page saysWorkers show up about six weeks after it is founded
The source saysWorkers appear roughly six weeks after the nest is establishedNote: faq
The page saysthe new queens and males are produced near the end
The source saysnew queens and males are produced towards the end of the three to four month nesting periodNote: faq

Source
04

Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society

Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758). Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society.

The page saysGrassland, shrubland, forest, towns and gardens across Europe and the middle and northern latitudes of Asia, and the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa
The source saysIt is widespread in Europe, middle and northern latitudes of Asia, eastwards to northern Mongolia (Løken 1973). It is also found in northern Africa at the higher altitudes of the Atlas Mountains.Note: stats.habitat, range part
The page saysNectar and pollen from a wide variety of flowers
The source saysVisits are made to a wide variety of flowers, both for pollen and nectar.Note: stats.diet
The page saysIt visits a wide variety of flowers for both pollen and nectar
The source saysVisits are made to a wide variety of flowers, both for pollen and nectar.Note: body
The page saysgives its range as Europe and the middle and northern latitudes of Asia, east to northern Mongolia
The source saysIt is widespread in Europe, middle and northern latitudes of Asia, eastwards to northern MongoliaNote: body
The page saysthe higher altitudes of the Atlas Mountains in northern Africa
The source saysIt is also found in northern Africa at the higher altitudes of the Atlas Mountains.Note: body
The page saysA 2009 profile by the Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society
The source saysYear profile last updated 2009Note: body
The page sayscaptive nests, not of the British sub-species, are used by commercial tomato and fruit growers
The source saysCaptive nests, not of the British sub-species, are now used by commercial tomato and fruit growers.Note: body; 'now' dropped and dated 2009 in the sentence
The page saysSome of the breeding bees may escape and interbreed with wild ones
The source sayssome sexuals may escape and inter-breed with wild beesNote: 'sexuals' = breeding queens and males
The page saysBees from commercial nests lack the deeper yellow bands and darker tail markings of the British sub-species
The source saysBees from commercial nests are like B. lucorum agg., lacking the deeper yellow bands and darker tail markings of the British sub-species.Note: body
The page saysPeople put them there on purpose in the late 1800s
The source saysThe species was deliberately introduced to New Zealand in the late 1800s.Note: faq
The page saysEscapes from commercial use have also let the species settle in Australasia and South America
The source saysIntroductions as a result of escapes from commercial use have resulted in establishment in Australasia and South America.Note: faq
The page saysThat 2009 profile
The source saysYear profile last updated 2009

Source
05

Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database

AnAge entry for Bombus terrestris. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database.

The page saysThe AnAge database gives a maximum longevity of 0.27 years in captivity
The source saysMaximum longevity 0.27 years (captivity)Note: body
The page saysfrom a study of the longevity of queens
The source saysLifetime reproductive success and longevity of queens in an annual social insectNote: AnAge's ref 1444 (Lopez-Vaamonde et al. 2009), the source of the 0.27-year maximum
The page saysrecords specimens of the audax subspecies living up to 98 days
The source saysSpecimens of the /audax/ subspecies were found to live up to 98 days.Note: body

Source
06

Ghisbain et al. 2025

Ghisbain et al. (2025). Bombus terrestris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T221880141A221880274.

The page saysGrassland, shrubland, forest, towns and gardens
The source saysHABITAT AND ECOLOGY Forest, Shrubland, Grassland, Artificial/TerrestrialNote: stats.habitat; towns and gardens from Wildlife Trusts habitats list too
The page saysIts Red List assessment for Europe, published in 2025
The source says2025. Bombus terrestris (Europe assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025Note: Europe scope: SCOPE OF ASSESSMENT Europe
The page sayslast assessed in 2023
The source saysLAST ASSESSED 14 July 2023
The page sayslists it as Least Concern
The source saysBombus terrestris is listed as Least Concern.
The page saysNot in Europe
The source saysBombus terrestris is listed as Least Concern.Note: faq
The page saysThe Red List's 2025 Europe assessment
The source says2025. Bombus terrestris (Europe assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025
The page sayslast assessed on 14 July 2023
The source saysLAST ASSESSED 14 July 2023Note: faq; quote lines joined
The page saysrates it Least Concern with an Increasing population trend
The source saysBombus terrestris is listed as Least Concern. ... POPULATION TREND Increasing
The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysSCOPE OF ASSESSMENT EuropeNote: stats.conservationStatus: the only Red List assessment is Europe regional (DOI cited); species also lives in North Africa and Asia (BWARS), so no global category. Orchestrator's GBIF/Crossref check.

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.