Submerged bumblebee queens breathe underwater

A laboratory accident where bumblebee queen vials flooded revealed that hibernating eastern bumblebee queens can survive underwater for up to a week by switching their slowed winter metabolism to oxygen-free energy production. Researchers confirmed the queens actively consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide while underwater, though the exact breathing mechanism remains unknown. With climate change bringing heavier rainfall that could flood hibernation sites more frequently, scientists worry repeated underwater episodes might drain the queens' limited energy reserves beyond recovery.