Bumblebees are struggling in UK heatwaves - but you can help them

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Bumblebees are struggling in UK heatwaves - but you can help themImage source, Tony Jolliffe/BBCByJustin Rowlatt Climate EditorPublished28 minutes agoUK bumblebees could suffer sharp falls in their numbers as heatwaves become more frequent and intense, new analysis suggests. The findings - shared exclusively with the - draw on data from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's long-running national monitoring scheme, which shows a decline in populations after the record-breaking heat of 2022. The warning comes as Britain emerges from a third heatwave in as many months, with temperatures in the range where bumblebees can struggle to fly without overheating.

Bumblebees are not just one of the best-loved sights of the British summer, they are also vital pollinators, helping sustain wildflowers and some of the crops we rely on. The impact of heatwaves is two-fold for bumblebees. UK species are adapted to our historically cooler climate - with fat, furry bodies that help them retain heat and powerful flight muscles that warm them as they fly.

The Details

But in a heatwave their muscles generate more heat, while their thick coats and round bodies make it harder to cool down. Dr Richard Comont, the Trust's science manager, says that once air temperatures reach around 28C to 32C, UK bumblebees can start to struggle to fly without overheating. If they cannot fly, they cannot forage.

"They actually cook themselves from the inside out," says Comont. "Once their internal body temperature is much above 40C, they literally start dying, they start keeling over. "The BeeWalk data shows in 2022, when the UK had three official summer heatwaves and temperatures reached 40.

3C, population numbers dropped significantly. Red-tailed, buff-tailed and common carder bumblebees - three of the country's most common species - peaked well below normal levels - down 20%, 25% and 35% respectively - before dropping further into autumn as colonies struggled. The effects appeared to last beyond that summer.

What Experts Say

BeeWalk data showed overall queen numbers were below average in March, April and May 2023. Figure caption, UK's Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, explains how the UK's bumblebees are fighting a battle on many fronts during heatwavesScientists stress that warm, sunny weather is not automatically bad for bumblebees. Previous warm years have been good for some species, particularly those with more southerly ranges.

The problem is extreme heat and drought. As well as their overheating bodies, the other issue for bumblebees is dwindling supplies of food. Colonies depend on workers bringing back a steady supply of nectar and pollen through the summer.

If flowering plants begin to dry up, they produce less. Dr Paul Williams, a bumblebee expert at the Natural History Museum, says foraging is an energy calculation for bumblebees. The nectar return has to make the expenditure of energy worthwhile.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.