| Queen bumblebees are able to breathe underwaterwhile hibernating, a study revealed yesterday. The physical mechanism behind this process is yet to be fully understood.Queens are the only colony members that survive winter, spending six to nine months in a hibernating state called diapause. Their shallow burrows tend to become waterlogged, and in a 2024 study, a researcher studying the impact of pesticides accidentally discovered bees can survive while totally submerged. To examine this phenomenon, scientists placed bees underwater in refrigerated conditions for up to eight days. They noticed the bees were producing small amounts of carbon dioxide. Researchers suspect the bees may have a physical gill—a thin layer of air surrounding them, enabling small amounts of oxygen intake and the release of carbon dioxide. While diapausing, the bees lower their metabolism by 99%, reducing energy intake needs. Even so, lactate accumulated, indicating the bees were supplementing with anaerobic respiration (as humans do during intense activity).Learn more about bees and other pollinators here. |
