Beehive of earth bumblebee, Bombus terrestris

Bumblebees are social insects, there is a certain level of interrelation between individuals of the same colony. The latter is divided into a number of groups, each with a specific task. At the top of the hierarchy stands the queen, that does not differ physically from the workers except for its size which is much bigger than the size of the largest worker.
The earth bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is the most common of three species found in Israel. It is located in Mt. Hermon, upper Galilee, lower Galilee, and Mt. Carmel. The body of B. terrestris is covered with black hairs and two stripes of yellow-brown hairs, one on the prothorax, and the other on the upper part of the second abdominal segment. The tip of the abdomen is covered with white hairs. The head is relatively small; its length does not exceed its width.