Why are there big bumblebees flying around right now?

Spring is here and summer is soon to be on its way, bringing lots of wildlife with it.

And, one of summer's most seen friends is the bumble bee!

But, have you been seeing some bigger bees around recently? Well, there's a reason behind it!

The British Beekeepers' Association says: "The big notable bees you are finding flying around are bumblebee queens who have just emerged from hibernation."

Who are the bumblebee queens?

The bumblebee queen is basically the boss of a group of bees - or colony.

There are three different types of bee in the colony - the queen, the drones and the worker bees.

The worker bees are female. They have lots of jobs - cleaning the nest, looking after the queen's babies, making wax and harvesting pollen and nectar from flowers to feed the colony.

The drones are male. Unlike the females they don't have a sting and they can't make honey. Their job is to mate with the queen to make more bees.

Bumblebee hibernation

Hibernation is very important for bumblebees.

Going into hibernation protects the queens from the harsh parts of life above ground; such as running out of food in winter, or being attacked by predators,

So, have you seen any big buzzy bumblebees around recently? Where did you see them?

Let us know all about it in the comments.