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How do busy bees avoid overheating from flying?

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thumb_up 74 comment 5 2026 1 month ago
Bumble bees may look clumsy and goofy hovering above a flower, but don’t be deceived: They’re among the hot rods of the insect world and able to fly 22 kilometers per hour. Even while hovering, their powerful wing muscles generate a lot of heat. Like any high-performance vehicle, the bees have ways to keep their motors cool—and a new study shows just how effective one of these methods can be. As a bumble bee hovers in place, the breeze it generates can lower the insect’s body temperature by 5°C, researchers report in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The “whopping” magnitude of that cooling means this fanning effect is a big deal for a flying insect, says Art Woods, an insect physiologist at the University of Montana. He adds that by improving our understanding of how temperature affects bumble bees’ flight, the findings will allow scientists to better predict the ability of the insects to survive in a warming world. Learn more: https://scim.ag/4ru6V45 FOOTAGE CREDIT: JORDAN ROBERT GLASS, CHRISTOPHER PETRANEK, AND MICHAEL E. DILLON #Bees #Science #ScienceShorts