Where Do Bumble Bees Go in Winter?

How Bumble Bees Nest, Overwinter, and What Your Garden Can Do to Help

If you’ve ever watched a plump, fuzzy bumble bee zig‑zagging low over your garden, you might have wondered: Where does she live? Where will she go as autumn arrives, and how can we help her? Unlike honey bees that overwinter as a colony in hives, bumble bees follow a quieter, more solitary rhythm. Their story often goes unseen, hidden just beneath the surface of our gardens. But by understanding their seasonal journey, gardeners can play a vital role in helping bumble bee populations thrive.

A Brief Bumble Bee Life Story

In temperate North America there are about 50 species of bumble bees.

These insects are social, but only partially so: each year a single queen starts a colony, raises the first batch of workers, the colony grows, then by late summer it produces new queens and drones, and everyone except the newly‑mated queens dies. The queens then overwinter alone, to begin the cycle again in spring. 

Because they switch from “grow the family” to “make new queens” to “quit the nest and winter” phases, their needs change with the seasons. That means making their habitat work means thinking year‑round.

A Year in the Life of a Bumble Bee Queen

In most parts of North America, bumble bees live in annual cycles. Each spring, a single queen emerges from her winter shelter and begins her search for a nest. She may find an abandoned rodent burrow, a patch of thick grass, or even an overlooked corner of your garden. Once she settles in, she raises her first generation of workers, who will help expand the colony throughout the summer.

But by late summer or early fall, her focus shifts. Instead of raising more workers, the colony produces new queens and male bees (drones). These new queens will mate, then leave the colony to find a place to hibernate through the winter. The rest of the colony, including the original queen, will die off with the first hard frosts. Only the newly mated queens survive to carry the cycle forward.

Where Do Bumble Bees Nest? Often Right Beneath Our Feet

Bumble bee nests can be surprisingly modest. Most don’t build elaborate hives. Instead, they repurpose what’s available: abandoned animal burrows, bunches of grass, old stumps, even forgotten items like unused cushions or insulation. Nests are often tucked into quiet, undisturbed corners just a few inches below the soil or hidden in leaf litter.

In your garden, you might not even notice a nest is there. Unlike honey bees, bumble bee colonies are relatively small, and their entrances are subtle. But creating and protecting suitable nesting habitat is one of the most effective ways to support them.

What You Can Do:

• Leave some areas of your yard a little "messy" with natural cover like grass thatch, leaf litter, logs, or brush piles.
• Avoid disturbing the ground, especially in spring and early summer, when nests may be active.
• Recognize that nests are easy to miss. So, if you see a few bees consistently coming and going from a particular spot, it's best to give them space.

Where Do Bumble Bees Go in Winter? Inside the Hidden World of Hibernating Queens

Once a new queen has mated, she begins her search for a place to spend the winter. These overwintering sites are often just a few inches below the surface, in loose soil, beneath leaves, or tucked near logs and forest edges. Researchers have found that queens often prefer shaded areas with good drainage, such as north-facing slopes or undisturbed woodland edges.

Because they are solitary during winter and leave no visible trace, overwintering queens are incredibly difficult to find which also makes them vulnerable to garden maintenance like digging or tilling.

What You Can Do:

• Let leaf litter, stems, and dead plant material remain through winter.
• Avoid tilling or disturbing garden beds, especially in fall and early spring.
• If you uncover a hibernating queen while digging, gently rebury her in the same spot and mark the area to avoid future disruption.

Why It Matters: Gardens Are Essential Habitat for Bumble Bees

Bumble bees face increasing challenges: habitat loss, pesticide exposure, soil compaction, and a lack of nesting and overwintering sites. Because so little is known about the exact locations of their nests or hibernation spots, every bit of undisturbed, natural garden space counts.

Healthy gardens with layered habitat provide not just food, but shelter for every part of a bumble bee’s life, especially the quiet, hidden parts we rarely see. Even small changes can have a big impact.

A Four Season Pollinator-Friendly Garden Checklist

Gardeners are in a unique position to help. Whether you tend a sprawling backyard, a corner bed, or a few containers, your space can offer vital habitat through all seasons. Supporting bumble bees doesn’t require a complete transformation—just a few thoughtful decisions that add up over time.

Here are a few simple ways to make your garden more welcoming to bumble bees year-round:

• Provide flowers from early spring through fall to support foraging bees.
• Leave some ground natural: bunch grasses, logs, leaf litter, and rock piles offer essential cover.
• Delay fall cleanup: let leaves and stems stay in place until spring.
• Avoid heavy soil disturbance, especially near the edges of natural areas.
• Limit pesticide use, particularly in areas where bees may nest or hibernate.
• If you suspect a nest, observe from a distance and avoid interference.
• Participate in community science projects to help researchers learn more about bumble bee nesting habits.

The next time you see a bumble bee darting among your garden flowers, remember: her journey spans seasons, with quiet phases of nesting, resting, and renewing life underground. Every garden has the potential to support that full cycle, simply by allowing nature a bit of room to work its quiet magic.

This post includes adapted information from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. For more resources on supporting native pollinators, visit xerces.org