The garden bumblebee is one of the most common bumblebee species throughout Europe. It can be found in a variety of habitats from woodlands to gardens, hence its name The garden bumblebee prefers flowers such as dead nettles, ground ivy, red clover, cowslips, foxglove, vetches and lavender.
The garden bumblebee is black-haired. It is large and scruffy looking, with a long tongue of about 15 to 20 mm and a long face. It has yellow bands at the collar, rear of the thorax and at the first segment of the abdomen, and the tip of the tail is white. Workers are 11 to 16 mm long, males 14 to 15 mm and queens 17 to 20 mm.