How Hot Is A Fully-Laden Bumblebee And Why Should We Care?

Bumblebees heat up as the load of pollen they carry increases, and this could cause serious trouble for these important pollinators as the climate continues to warm

Unladen common eastern bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, in Ontario, Canada. (Credit: Ryan Hodnett / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Like other insects, the body temperature of bumblebees is primarily determined by their environment. Bumblebees are cold-adapted insects that warm themselves by shivering on especially cold mornings so they can fly in cold temperatures and at high elevations. Their cold-tolerance means they are active for much of the year, and thus, they begin their pollinating duties earlier than other insects and they pollinate a wide variety of flowers over a long period of time.