Overloaded bumblebee

I spent time at my beloved nature reserve this morning after an absence of 35 days for my South Africa trip. It has really sprung into life. There are carpets of spring flowers and, despite it being a dull, cold day, I saw four butterflies - Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Brimstone and Orange-tip. There were also quite a few bumblebees, including this female Red-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius, which was so heavily infested with mites it was struggling to fly. The literature says that most mites on bumblebees are harmless, just hitching a lift to new nests, but I didn't much like the look of this gang. Thanks to my volunteer team and the Chilterns Society volunteers who have done some great conservation work while I've been away.