US: Study finds carrying pollen heats up bumble bees, raises new climate change questions

Published 2023년 5월 16일

Tridge summary

A study by North Carolina State University has found that bumble bees carrying pollen experience a significant increase in body temperature. The research indicates that bees with full pollen loads are 2°C warmer than those without, raising concerns about how bumble bees will be affected by climate change. This discovery could contribute to understanding the impact of climate change on bumble bees, as their numbers and species diversity are declining, especially in warming areas. The study suggests that carrying pollen on hot days could stress bees and impact their ability to collect and distribute pollen effectively, potentially affecting ecosystem services and agriculture.

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Original content

A new study from North Carolina State University finds carrying pollen is a workout that significantly increases the body temperature of bumble bees. This new understanding of active bumble bee body temperatures raises questions about how these species will be impacted by a warmer world due to climate change. Spend a bit of time at a nearby flower patch and you will spot a fuzzy bumble bee with yellow bumps on her back legs. These yellow bumps are solid packets of pollen that have been carefully collected during the bees' foraging trip for transport back to their nests. And while bees may seem to move from flower to flower with ease, these pollen packets can weigh up to a third of their body weight. This new study found that—after accounting for environmental temperature and body size—the body temperature of bumble bees carrying pollen was significantly hotter than the temperature of bees that were empty-legged. ...

Source: Phys