- 1). Check the location where you found the bee. In Northern California, bumble bees have yellow hair on the front of the thorax. The first three segments of the bees are black. The center, which is the fourth segment, is black with sparse whitish hairs on the lower edges. The fifth segment is also white. The sixth segment of the bee also has sparse white hairs, but may appear black because the black exoskeleton shows through.
- 2). Check the second, third and fifth abdominal segments to identify bumble bees typically found in Central California. These bees will have yellow hairs on the sides of the second abdominal segment. The third segment will be entirely yellow. The fifth abdominal segment will be reddish brown.
- 3). Identify Rocky Mountain bumble bees by sex. Females are yellow on the thorax, behind the wings. The rear of the second abdominal segment is also yellow, as is the entire third segment. Males are similar in color to the females, but will have pale yellow hairs on the center top of the head and the face.
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