20 September β 24 March
dates recorded for this region, not shifted from anywhere
Old rodent burrows and wall cavities; the huge bees flying low in February are queens.
Only the mated queen survives winter; the entire colony β workers, males, the old queen β dies each autumn. So a nest is a one-year object, and the low, searching flight in early spring is a queen looking for a hole, not for flowers.
photos, sightings and recordings, off this site
where this species is on the list
| Phase | When | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| hibernating | 20 September β 24 March | 186 days | True hibernation: body temperature drops and the animal cannot simply wake. |
| going about the year | 25 March β 14 April | 21 days | Feeding, holding territory, doing nothing the calendar singles out. |
| building | 15 April β 29 April | 15 days | Nest, burrow or den under construction, or being lined out. |
| larvae feeding | 30 April β 19 May | 20 days | Caterpillars, grubs or nymphs feeding and growing. |
| brood in the nest | 20 May β 24 July | 66 days | Dependent young in the nest, den or burrow, being fed. |
| courting | 25 July β 24 August | 31 days | Song, display, fighting, scent-marking β pairs forming or reaffirming. |
| new queens leaving | 25 August β 19 September | 26 days | Young leaving for good, looking for a territory of their own. |