The European bumblebee ranges in size from 11–22 mm. They have a black abdomen and one yellow/orange band across the thorax and another across the abdomen with a distinguishable white patch at the end of the abdomen. They are covered with dense hair over the whole body and are larger and fatter than the European honey bee.
European bumblebees are a social species and live in colony sizes of approximately 50–60 bees; this is much smaller compared to European honeybee colony size. Bumblebees are originally found in the northern hemisphere and South America in temperate climates.