Bumblebee nests overheat. It’s not good for the earth

As temperatures rise around the world due to climate change-induced global warming, an insect species responsible for global pollination is under threat.

Bumblebees, like humans, face the wrath of climate change. A new study blames rising heat as a potential culprit for the decline of bumblebee populations worldwide.

The heat reduces their ability to build viable nests in which healthy larvae can develop. While it is difficult to pinpoint the impact of climate change on the species, detailed analysis has now been made to understand their ability to raise healthy larvae, which are endangered due to poor nesting.

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“The limitations on bumblebee brood survival indicate that heat is likely to be an important factor, with heating the nest above 35 degrees Celsius being fatal, despite bumblebees’ remarkable ability to regulate their temperature,” said Dr. Peter Kevan of the University of Guelph. , Canada, said the paper’s lead author.

The researchers, published in the journal Frontiers in Bee Science, speculate that it could be difficult for bumblebees to adapt to rising temperatures, and that they would struggle to stay within their thermal neutral zone – a point at which remaining requires minimal metabolic properties at the right temperature. expenditure.

“Extremely high temperatures are more harmful to most animals and plants than low temperatures. When the temperature gets too high, metabolic processes start to break down and stop,” said Kevan. “Death follows quickly.”

The researchers reviewed the literature on the species over a period of 180 years to confirm that bumblebees appear to be able to survive at temperatures up to 36 degrees Celsius and develop optimally around 30-32 degrees Celsius – although this varies by species. and biogeographical conditions may differ. .

The bumblebee colony also acts as a ‘superorganism’, with reproductive fitness dependent on the collective survival and reproduction of the colony rather than on individual bees. Some bumblebees can handle the heat better than others, but if the nest is too warm to raise healthy larvae, the entire colony suffers, regardless of the adaptation of the individual bumblebees.

Bumblebees are crucial pollinators, responsible for 97% of wildflower pollination and supporting natural ecosystems. Their pollination services maintain the structure and function of the ecosystem, allowing plant reproduction and providing food and habitat for other organisms.

If their species disappears, it could play a disastrous role in the natural ecosystem.