Probably the scent of the freshly turned soil got her interested in exploring our garden. Once she finds a suitable site, she will make a small set of cells, lay the first eggs and wait for the worker bees to emerge. As her hive starts to prosper, she will retire from her explorations and remain in the hive, laying more eggs which will keep the hive supplied with worker bees for the rest of the summer. Bombini are extremely important native pollinators of our early spring and summer crops our fruit trees in particular need them. These bees can tolerate colder temperatures than the non-native honeybees, whose genetic tolerance to cold was developed in warmer Mediterranean climates.
Bumblebees also seem less prone to the diseases currently plaguing the honeybees.
I am always delighted to welcome Bumblebees back to our gardens each year. Last April, a friend had put up several bird boxes, but was dismayed because one in particular didnt have any avian takers. She thought bees might have moved in, but wasnt sure. We carefully opened the bird box and shone our flashlight in. I was amazed to see the box half full of carefully shredded dry moss.