08/25/2026
We recently spent some quality time among Northern Michigan's wildflower meadows studying one of our most important native pollinators: bumble bees!
Bumble bees are exceptional pollinators, helping native wildflowers, crops, and entire plant communities reproduce and thrive. They're also fascinating animals. Depending on the species, colonies may nest underground, in abandoned rodent burrows, or among dense grasses and vegetation. As winter approaches, the workers and males die, while newly produced queens overwinter and emerge the following spring to start colonies of their own.
One of their coolest adaptations is buzz pollination. Bumble bees can grab onto certain flowers and rapidly vibrate their flight muscles, shaking loose pollen that would otherwise remain trapped inside the flower. It's a specialized technique that honey bees can't perform, making bumble bees especially effective pollinators for plants such as blueberries, cranberries, and tomatoes.
Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund is working in partnership with The Ohio State University to survey bumble bee diversity and abundance across our region. By establishing baseline information about which species are here and where they're found, we can better understand their populations and help inform future conservation efforts. We have some exciting plans on the horizon for bumble bee conservation in Northern Michigan. Stay tuned!
Learn more about our research and conservation work on our website. www.sleepingbearwildlife.org/bumblebees
