Wash Out!

Hibernating queens of the Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens), can survive for at least a week underwater. This species, unlike some other North American bumblebees, is not currently in marked decline. This unexpected ability was revealed in a laboratory accident- always the best kind (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/17/bumblebee-species-common-eastern-survive-underwater-hibernating). It's suggested that this feature could help bumblebees survive flooding in the wild. Increased risk of flooding is, of course, one likely consequences of climate change. There's now a rush, to see whether other species of bumblebee, share this ability. It might be an idea to extend this to other pollinators.