Since 1950, there has been a significant increase in mortality of bee, bumblebee and bumblebee populations globally. One of the main causes is the abuse of pesticides but there is also a reason: the increase in temperatures due to climate change. A study sheds light on what is happening.
A team of researchers from the University of Guelph analyzed historical studies dating back to 1800 discovering that these insects (bumblebees, wasps or pai) regardless of the geographical region, prefer a nest temperature that is around between 28 and 32 °C. When the temperature exceeds 36°C they can no longer reproduce effectively. This is particularly problematic for larvae, which are the ‘next generation’ and are much more sensitive to heat than adults.
Peter Kevan, an expert at the University of Guelph, noted this need for a stable nest temperature common among animals from different areas of the world, from the Arctic to tropical regions. If temperatures exceed tolerable limits, bees, bumblebees and hornets are likely not to survive. And we know well what would happen if bees became extinct.
To protect the growing larvae, the adult insects in question perform a sort of ventilation of the nest by moving the wings, but this natural defense may not be enough to counteract the effects of an increasingly warm climate. While there are technological innovations such as “robotic nests” that control the climate for commercial honey bees, these solutions are not applicable to wild species, which live free in nature.
Bees are dying all over the world and it should be our responsibility to protect them as they are responsible for 70% of the pollination of all plant species in the world guarantees approximately 30% of global food production.
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