Scientists at the University of California have linked climate change to the health of bumblebees the existence of which is associated with the pollination of many cultivated plants, including tomatoes, blueberries, peppers and potatoes. This is reported in an article published in the journal Microbial Ecology.
According to the researchers, climate change affects the microbial balance of flower nectar, which is a food source for insects. This jeopardizes the health of the bumblebees, which in turn will affect the availability of fresh produce. Even with a slight increase in temperature, the metabolism of microbes is accelerated, which causes them to multiply faster and absorb a higher percentage of sugars in the nectar.
To test the taste preferences of bumblebees, scientists prepared several types of nectar in the laboratory. Some of the nectar samples were sterile, and some contained microbes placed in low or high temperatures.
It turned out that the bumblebees preferred only nectar with a certain amount of microbes, even if it contained less sugar. They gave up nectar with too many germs, and nectar without germs. Scientists speculate that bacteria and yeast help bumblebees digest sugar, or that microorganisms produce metabolites that are beneficial to insect health.