Queen bee - Bee facts

Here’s why leaving the leaves helps bumble bees. When cold weather hits, each recently born and mated bumble bee queen will find a place to overwinter as her colony dies off. She needs to survive the winter alone in a hibernation state if she’s going to start a new colony in the spring. She’s vulnerable. Research is lacking on what types of overwintering sites bumble bees prefer and how often they survive. But, queens are known to overwinter in underground burrows in loose soil and leaf litter.

Bumble Bee