Hasselrot (1962) states that the species usually nests on the ground, producing rather small colonies. The nests are founded under grass tussocks or mossy hummocks. Some nests may be constructed below the ground in abandoned rodent burrows (Westrich, 1989; Rasmont, 2008). A Dutch nest, investigated by Den Boer and Vleugel (1949), consisted of about 40-50 workers and about 80 worker brood cells. There were no queens or males present.( Peeters, Raemakers & Smit, 1999). It is a pocket-maker.
Leiner (1997) notes that out of 20 Bombus veteranus nests the author found, 7 were started by a different species (1 B. humilis, 4 B. ruderarius, 2 B. pascuorum). A further 2 nests had dead conspecific queens in them.