Bumble Bee Identification Guides
Identifying bumble bees may seem intimidating and sometimes it takes an experienced researcher to make a solid verification. But many species can be identified by amateur naturalists with the use of guides and practice.
There are 48 species of bumble bees in the United States and in the eastern United States there are 21 species (not too many to learn!).
Here is a great training video to walk you through identification of species you may see
(developed by University of Minnesota Extension):
Recording of bumble bee identification training: webinar recording
Slides from webinar: ID slides
Also, check out these guides:
Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States by the U.S. Forest Service
Guide to Minnesota Bumble Bees (females) by the Minnesota
Bumble Bee Survey
Guide to Minnesota Bumble Bees (males) by the Minnesota Bumble
Bee Survey
Step-by-step bumble bee identification: Interactive ID guide
Pocket Guide to Identifying the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee by the
Xerces Society
Minnesota Bee Atlas Identification Resources
Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade Field Guide
Bee Identification: Is it a rusty patched bumble bee
From the Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States by the U.S. Forest Service