Mar 11, 2026 04:54 PM
(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2026 04:59 PM by C C.)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1119624
INTRO: Throughout winter, bumble bee queens lie buried underground in diapause, in a hibernation-like state, in a form of overwintering. But as snow melts and heavy rains soak the ground each spring those underground chambers fill with water, it was assumed that the bees who hadn’t yet awoken from their slumber, drowned. Now new research from the University of Ottawa shows that these queens can survive being submerged for over a week, thanks to a mix of physiological mechanisms.
The study, led by Professor Charles-Antoine Darveau, full professor in Comparative Physiology in the Department of Biology at uOttawa, reveals how these vital pollinators’ remarkable flooding-tolerance strategy may be crucial as extreme weather events become more frequent.
[...] What they discovered was striking. Even underwater, the queens continued exchanging gases. In effect, breathing while maintaining an exceptionally low metabolic rate.
“The first key is metabolic depression,” explains Professor Darveau. “Their metabolism is already extremely low during diapause. That low energy demand makes survival possible.”
But that wasn’t the whole story. The team also detected significant accumulation of lactic acid in the bees’ bodies, evidence that they were producing energy without oxygen through anaerobic metabolism.
“They’re not relying on just one strategy,” Darveau says. “They combine underwater gas exchange with anaerobic metabolism. That flexibility is what allows them to survive these extreme conditions.” (MORE - missing details, no ads)
INTRO: Throughout winter, bumble bee queens lie buried underground in diapause, in a hibernation-like state, in a form of overwintering. But as snow melts and heavy rains soak the ground each spring those underground chambers fill with water, it was assumed that the bees who hadn’t yet awoken from their slumber, drowned. Now new research from the University of Ottawa shows that these queens can survive being submerged for over a week, thanks to a mix of physiological mechanisms.
The study, led by Professor Charles-Antoine Darveau, full professor in Comparative Physiology in the Department of Biology at uOttawa, reveals how these vital pollinators’ remarkable flooding-tolerance strategy may be crucial as extreme weather events become more frequent.
[...] What they discovered was striking. Even underwater, the queens continued exchanging gases. In effect, breathing while maintaining an exceptionally low metabolic rate.
“The first key is metabolic depression,” explains Professor Darveau. “Their metabolism is already extremely low during diapause. That low energy demand makes survival possible.”
But that wasn’t the whole story. The team also detected significant accumulation of lactic acid in the bees’ bodies, evidence that they were producing energy without oxygen through anaerobic metabolism.
“They’re not relying on just one strategy,” Darveau says. “They combine underwater gas exchange with anaerobic metabolism. That flexibility is what allows them to survive these extreme conditions.” (MORE - missing details, no ads)