Bumblebee queens are the only members of the species that hibernate, typically digging underground burrows for themselves in the fall. When spring arrives, they emerge from hibernation to establish new colonies. The ability to survive underwater during hibernation is a previously unknown aspect of their survival strategy.
In a remarkable discovery, hibernating queen bumblebees have been found to survive for days underwater, challenging previous assumptions about their survival capabilities. Researchers placed 143 hibernating queen bumblebees in tubes, with some in a dry environment and others submerged in water to various degrees. The results were astonishing: the queens that were fully submerged or floating in water survived for days, demonstrating a surprising tolerance to flooding.