From the Editor with Deutsche Wellei From the Editor with Deutsche Welle https://revistaplaneta.com.br/autor/da-redacao-com-deutsche-welle/
07/05/2024 – 13:50
A bee-queen in the video below can survive underwater for up to a week when she is hibernating.
A new study found that some bumblebees they can open and close their breathing holes, retaining enough oxygen to survive.
The researchers used a cold storage unit to simulate hibernation.
The sleeping queens were placed in a tube filled with soil and covered with water.
For seven days, they floated in the water or were submerged, thanks to a plunger-like device to simulate a flood.
More than 80% of the queens survived.
Each winter, the entire bumble bee colony dies, with the exception of the new queens.
They survive by burrowing underground for a period of six to nine months.
In spring, these important pollinators emerge to start new colonies.
As floods become increasingly frequent due to human-driven climate change, this study raises hope that bees can survive.
