Bumblebee

A bumblebee's colour helps protect them from other creatures who may want to eat them. They have two sets of tiny wings (making some scientists wonder how they can actually fly) and three pairs of legs.

Did you know?

• When it flies, a bumblebee flaps its wings 200 times a second;

• The scientific name for the bumblebee is ‘bombus’. The old English name is 'dumbledore', and when writing Harry Potter, the headmaster reminded J.K Rowling of a bumblebee, so that is where the name Dumbledore came from;

• Bumblebees can sting, although they will only sting you if they feel threatened or are protecting their home;

• You can encourage bumblebees into your garden by planting flowers;

• They eat nectar from flowers.

Take part in British Waterways' 2008 National Wildlife Survey

Photograph by Mike Hammett / English Nature