In Minnesota, there are twenty-five described species within the genus Bombus. Six of these species are social parasites that do not establish their own nests but instead take over (usurp) an active nest, then kill, drive out the founding queen, or coexist in the nest with the queen. The remaining nest-establishing species have annual eusocial nests that are founded by a reproductive female (gyne) in spring after she emerges from winter hibernation. Bombus are the most recognizable genus of bees in Minnesota given their large size, fuzzy appearance, season-long activity, and tendency to visit a wide variety of flowering plants. 

Bumble bees nest in cavities with preexisting insulation. These cavities can be belowground in abandoned rodent or chipmunk burrows, on the ground under thatch, plant debris, or logs, in cavities in wood on or near the ground, under structures or objects such as sheds, and less often aboveground in bird nest boxes or other locations providing some insulation. Bombus are polylectic; collectively, all castes (queen, workers, males, gynes) visit a wide variety of flowering plants over the entire growing season. At the species level, more nuanced flower preferences may be guided by tongue length, proximity to nesting habitat, and quality of the floral resources such as lipid/protein ratios. Bees in this genus range in length from 7 to 29 mm (0.27 to 1.14 inches).