This is a fairly common and distinctive species, although despite its name it is not restricted to gardens. All castes have three yellow bands, a white tail and a face which is appreciably longer than it is wide, which separates it from the otherwise similar Bombus jonellus.  Queens are fairly large (about the size of B. lucorum) whilst males and workers are very similar in appearance but the former has noticeably longer antennae and longer more uneven hairs, giving a somewhat scruffy appearance. The long face allows pollen and nectar to be obtained from long tubular flowers.

Distribution in Ireland: Widespread and fairly frequent.

Flight Period: March-October. Workers usually appear in May, whilst males appear in July.

Habitat: A wide variety of habitats including gardens, woodland edges and clearings, good-quality hedgerows, unimproved grassland, scrub and brownfield sites.

Flowers visited: Workers favour Fabaceae and Lamiaceae, such as Bush Vetch, Red Clover, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, White Dead-Nettle and Hedge Woundwort, but also other long, tubular flowers such as Honeysuckle, Foxglove and the non-native Fuscia.  Queens visit dandelions in spring, whilst males will visit thistles and knapweeds in summer.

Personal Records: I have recorded this species fairly regularly in the Hillsborough area, Co. Down (although it is generally less abundant than the other Bombus species seen here) Bush Vetch appears to be a particularly important foraging resource here. I have also recorded it from Killard Point, Castle Ward, Kilbroney Forest and Mourne Park (Co. Down), Sheskinmore and Dunfanaghy (Co. Donegal) and at various sites across Co. Armagh. Longer-petalled flowers in a variety of habitats are best searched for this species. It is the host species of the Barbut’s Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus barbutellus), although that species is much rarer.