How extreme heat threatens honeybees - Climate Connections

Summary3 min read

Episode Overview

Title: How extreme heat threatens honeybees
Podcast: Climate Connections
Host: Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, Yale Center for Environmental Communication
Date: May 28, 2026
Theme:
This episode examines how increasing global temperatures and heat waves are affecting honeybees—critical pollinators for agriculture. The discussion highlights the vulnerability of bees to extreme heat, the natural cooling methods bees employ, and the actions farmers can take to help, all within the broader context of climate change’s impact on food systems.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role of Honeybees in Agriculture

Dr. Leiserowitz opens by emphasizing the crucial role honeybees play in pollinating a variety of crops, such as berry bushes, nut trees, and melon vines.
He frames bees as “tiny insect farm workers” essential for ensuring many crops reach grocery shelves.

The Threat of Rising Temperatures

Researcher June Chen of Texas A&M Kingsville warns of the dangers climate change poses specifically to honeybee health and survival.
- Quote:
  
  "The young bees and honeybee broods fare best when their hives stay between roughly 92 and 96 degrees."
  (Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, 00:21)
- If hive temperatures stray outside this range, bee broods are at risk.
- Quote:
  
  "Above or below this range, it will be dangerous for that brood."
  (June Chen, 00:33)

Bees’ Natural Cooling Strategies—and Their Limits

Bees cool hives on hot days by:
- Spritzing water in the colony
- Fanning wings to ventilate air
However, these methods have limitations as temperatures climb.
- Quote:
  
  "Extreme heat waves may challenge the natural cooling systems of the honey bee colonies."
  (June Chen, 00:50)

Evidence from Recent Research

June Chen’s Arizona hive study found:
- Higher temperatures correlated with smaller adult bee populations.
- Large swings in temperature linked to declines in both bee broods and adults.

Farmer Interventions & The Growing Challenge

Suggested strategies to help bees:
- Keep hives shaded
- Mist hives
- Provide accessible water

Nevertheless, Chen warns that these mitigation steps may not suffice as climate change worsens heat extremes.

> “But as the climate warms, it may become harder to keep these pollinators safe.”  
*(Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, 01:08)*

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

On the optimal temperature range for bee broods:
“The young bees and honeybee broods fare best when their hives stay between roughly 92 and 96 degrees.”
(Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, 00:21)
On temperature danger for bee broods:
“Above or below this range, it will be dangerous for that brood.”
(June Chen, 00:33)
On heatwaves challenging bee survival:
“Extreme heat waves may challenge the natural cooling systems of the honey bee colonies.”
(June Chen, 00:50)
On the difficulty of protecting bees from worsening climate impacts:
“But as the climate warms, it may become harder to keep these pollinators safe.”
(Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, 01:08)

Important Segment Timestamps

Honeybees’ agricultural importance — 00:01-00:15
Optimal hive temperatures & risks — 00:21-00:37
Bees’ cooling adaptations — 00:37-00:50
Impact of heatwaves on bees — 00:50-00:56
Summary of research findings and mitigation steps — 00:56-01:08

Episode Takeaways

Honeybees are indispensable to modern agriculture, but are increasingly threatened by rising heat.
Their ability to regulate hive temperature is being outpaced by the severity and frequency of heatwaves caused by climate change.
Farmers can try to help, but worsening climate trends foreshadow mounting challenges in protecting bees—and by extension, our food supply.

Loading summary

Transcript5 lines

[00:02]
A
I'm Dr. Anthony Lyzewitz, and this is Climate Connections. On many farms, honeybees buzz about pollinating berry bushes, nut trees, and melon vines. Without these tiny insect farm workers, many of these crops would never reach grocery shelves. But June Chen, a researcher at Texas A and M Kingsville, warns that as the climate warms, honeybees could face trouble. The young bees and honeybee broods fare best when their hives stay between roughly 92 and 96 degrees.
[00:34]
B
Above or below this range, it will be dangerous for that brood.
[00:38]
A
On hot days, honeybees have a few methods to cool the hive, like spritzing water through the colony and fanning their wings to ventilate the air. But if it gets too hot, those strategies might not be enough.
[00:50]
C
Extreme heat waves may challenge the natural cooling systems of the honey bee colonies.
[00:57]
A
In a recent study of hives in Arizona, Chen found that higher temperatures were linked to adult bee population drops, and big temperature swings were linked to both brood and adult bee declines. She says farmers can help bees stay cool by keeping hives in the shade, misting them, and providing water nearby. But as the climate warms, it may become harder to keep these pollinators safe. Climate Connections is produced by the Yale center for Environmental Communication. To learn more about climate change, visit climateconnections.org.