Tricolored bumble bees (Bombus ternarius), is also known as the orange-belted bumble bee, a name which often gets it confused with the red belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus). They get their common name from the three colours of their fur, yellow, orange, and black. The abdoment colour patterns of these bees by segment is 1st yellow, 2nd & 3rd orange, 4th yellow, and 5th (terminal) black, from the front to the back of the bee. It very closely ressembles Bombus huntii, but differs in that it has black facial hairs instead of yellow. They are found throughout all of Canada and in the northern US, and are active in June and July. They nest underground and form a small colony with a queen, a few males, and the majority of the colony being composed of small worker females. Workers range in length from 8 -13mm, males are 10 – 13mm, and the queen is 17 – 19mm long. Their flowers of preference are Rubus, Solidago, Symphyotrichum, Taraxacum, Trifolium, and Vaccinium. These are one of few bees with a ranked conservation status in Canada, and are listed as ‘least concern’. However, these bees have been significantly dropping in population as of the early 90s, much like other bees.