As temperatures rise, crop yields dependent on pollinators like bees may be severely affected.
Increasing high temperatures pose a constant threat to humans around the globe. However, we are not the only ones at risk. A recent study revealed that heatwaves can seriously jeopardize the sense of smell in ground-nesting bees.
Some species of bees may lose their sense of smell after a heatwave (Photo: Getty).
This discovery may predict how climate change impacts pollinator populations and the industries dependent on them.
“One effect of heatwaves has impacted the physiological capabilities of bees, specifically the ground-nesting species,” said Coline Jaworski, an ecologist at the National Institute for Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Research in France.
This expert emphasized that if bees cannot efficiently find their food, it would be disastrous, severely affecting most crops and flower species worldwide.
“If pollinators disappear, there will be no pollination, no seeds, and no fruits. Everything will come to an end,” Coline Jaworski stated.
It is known that bees use their vision to locate patches of flowers. Meanwhile, their antennae function as olfactory organs, helping them identify flowers to visit.
In the study, the researchers tested two common species of ground-nesting bees: B. pascuorum (wild) and B. terrestris (managed in beekeeping). They were exposed to a simulated heatwave environment of 40°C for nearly three hours.
Reports indicated that exposure to high temperatures significantly reduced the response of their antennae to three common scents: ocimene, geraniol, and nonanal. The reduction rate could be as high as 80%.
More concerning, in most cases, ground-nesting bees did not recover their olfactory response, even when they returned to a cooler environment within 24 hours.
This finding suggests that the impact of heatwaves on ground-nesting bees could be prolonged, possibly spanning multiple generations and becoming a concerning condition.
Notably, female worker bees—responsible for gathering food for the colony—seem to be more affected by heat than male bees.
