25/06/2026
Feeling hot? Imagine being a bumblebee with a thick fur coat! Fortunately, you can help them ☀️🐝
🌡️ Once temperatures reach about 32°C, bumblebees can’t fly without overheating. This means they can’t collect food for themselves or the larvae developing in their nests. This can ultimately lead to shrinking populations.
⏰ To avoid the worst of the heat, bumblebees will forage first thing in the morning and last thing at night. But this gives them less time to collect food – and drought-hit plants provide less nectar. It’s like us rushing to the supermarket 10 minutes before closing and finding the shelves mostly bare.
⚠️ For bumblebees that are already struggling, that isn’t great news.
Here’s how you can help bumblebees in hot weather:
💧 Bumblebees get water from drinking nectar from flowers. By watering your plants, you can ensure the flowers in your garden keep producing nectar.
🕒 Water at cooler times of day (e.g. evenings) and at the base of the plant. This reduces evaporation and helps plant roots make the most of the water. This also means you can enjoy being outside helping bumblebees during the cooler part of the day and stay safe inside during the extreme heat.
