Specieswatch: How heatwaves harm bees' fertility

A study found that extreme heat causes a big decrease in bee fertility, which affects the pollination of food crops in later years.

Published 1 July 2026 389 words
ENVIRONMENT B2
Specieswatch: How heatwaves harm bees' fertility

We know that heatwaves can be very bad for human health, but what about other animals? New research shows that heatwaves seriously reduce the fertility of bees. This can have important consequences for how well food crops are pollinated in the years that follow.

Professor James Gilbert from the University of Hull and his team recreated a three-day heatwave in a laboratory setting. They studied solitary red mason bees and compared them to bees kept in normal summer conditions. These bees were the control group.

After nine months, both groups of bees had made their cocoons and were hibernating as usual. However, when the researchers examined the bees, they found a significant problem. The male bees that had experienced the heatwave had only half the sperm activity compared to the male bees in the control group. The female bees from the heatwave group also showed a 15% decrease in the size and number of eggs they were developing.

In the UK, over 90% of the approximately 270 bee species are solitary. This means they do not live in large groups and do not have other bees to help them. The study's findings, which were published in the Journal of Thermal Biology, suggest that a heatwave could lead to a large decrease in the bee population the following year. This would result in less effective pollination for important food crops, like apples and oilseed rape.

Vocabulary

fertility — The ability to produce offspring.
consequences — The results or effects of an action or condition.
pollination — The process by which plants reproduce, often involving the transfer of pollen by insects like bees.
simulated — To imitate the appearance or character of something; in this case, to create conditions that were like a heatwave.
solitary — Living or existing alone; in this context, bees that do not live in colonies.
hibernated — Spent the winter in a dormant state, like sleeping.
dissected — Examined or cut up in detail, usually for scientific study.
implications — Possible effects or results that are likely to happen in the future.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why is it important to study the effects of heatwaves on bees, not just humans?
  2. What were the main differences found between the bees exposed to the heatwave and those kept in normal conditions?
  3. How might a reduction in bee population affect the food we eat?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

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