WASHINGTON POST • May 11, 2024
Warming temperatures could be responsible for a worldwide bumblebee decline, a new analysis finds – and the damage may rise as temperatures soar because of climate change. When things get too hot, bumblebees use their wings as fans. But the insects’ best attempts to cool off could fail as air and soil temperatures rise, the researchers write, warning that 'heat stress may be lethal even if slightly elevated above optimum.'