Bumblebees face steep population declines from habitat loss, disease, and pesticides, with welfare implications for highly social colonial insects with complex behaviour.
Bumblebee queens emerging from hibernation in landscapes without early spring flowers face starvation before establishing colonies. Sub-lethal pesticide exposure impairs navigation, learning, and reproductive success in ways that may involve aversive states. Colony collapse from disease or pesticide stress means the death of all colony members including queens that have invested weeks or months in colony establishment. While bumblebee sentience involves significant uncertainty, their demonstrated capacity for learning, play behaviour, and emotional state transfer suggests they may have morally relevant experiences.