How are bumble bees different from honey bees? Bumblebees are native to Arkansas, whereas honeybees were brought to this continent by Europeans.
Honey bees live in above-ground colonies that can contain tens of thousands of bees. Bumble bees, in contrast, live in underground nests containing no more than a few hundred bees by late summer. Worker honey bees and bumble bees live no more than a season, except for honey bees that overwinter, but their queens lead different lives.
A queen honey bee can live up to five years. A queen bumble bee is the only type of bumble bee who can live through the winter, and she will die during the following winter. For more on bumble bees, google the xerces society.