Bumble bees lose their sense of smell after heat waves
By Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Science.
Excerpt: Increasingly common extreme temperatures are a rising threat to many around the world, but humans are not the only ones imperiled. In a study out today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers show heat waves may severely jeopardize bumble bees’ ability to smell the flowers they feed on. The finding could foretell how climate change may affect the pollinators’ populations—and human industries that rely on them. ...if these bees cannot find their food effectively, the impact on the crops they pollinate can be disastrous. ...We have bumble bees to thank for many of the vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes that show up on our tables; bees pollinate crops that make up about one-third of our food supply. Yet bee populations have been declining for years, and most researchers think there are two main reasons: habitat loss and climate change. ...Researchers have correlated some effects of climate change with bee decline. Droughts can reduce flowers’ production of pollen and nectar that bees rely on to stay healthy. Extreme heat may also diminish flowers’ scent and nectar output. ...It makes sense that bumble bees, which evolved to live in high altitudes and latitudes and are adapted to cold regions, such as the Arctic and the Alps, might struggle in warmer temperatures....