Bumblebees are struggling in UK heatwaves
New research indicates that UK bumblebee populations are declining due to increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves. Because bumblebees are adapted to cooler climates, high temperatures cause them to overheat and struggle to forage, leading to significant drops in population numbers.
Why it matters
Bumblebees are essential pollinators; their decline poses a long-term threat to biodiversity and agricultural crop stability in the UK.
0 UK bumblebees could suffer sharp falls in their numbers as heatwaves become more frequent and intense, new analysis suggests.
The findings - shared exclusively with the BBC - 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.
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