bumblebees carry aposematic warning colours, usually some combination of black, red, yellow and white. this is the usual müllerian mimicry found in bees and wasps. bumblebees are extremely hairy, and that also is a defence against birds. young birds, particularly, find them difficult to handle. some birds are regular predators of bumblebees: the great grey shrike ("lanius excubitor") and the bee-eaters for example.