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Description: Up to 18mm in length, the thorax is usually reddish brown (the only garden bumble bee with this colour), although very dark in northern areas. Abdomen has a rather thin coating of brown, black or grey hairs. Visits a wide range of wild and cultivated flowers, and is especially fond of lavender. Nests are usually built in long grass at ground level, but this species also builds in old birds' nests well above ground and even takes up residence in bird boxes. Queens usually appear late March or April and the colonies continue well into the autumn, long after most other bumble bees have disappeared. Found in most habitats, it is a very common garden species in the UK but uncommon in more exposed areas.
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