At temperatures below twelve degrees, honey producers cannot fly and currently have no chance to take advantage of the abundant food supply. Experts therefore expect that more bees will swarm in May. But the current cold phase also has its effects on the plant world.
“Insects are very resilient and can reproduce incredibly. So it is not particularly bad if a large part of the population dies during a cold period. As soon as conditions improve again, the insects will return,” reassures entomologist Fritz Gusenleitner.
Flowering phases exceeded
Experts agree that no insect species becomes extinct due to weather. But this spring always causes chaos in nature: “Because the flowering phases of numerous plant species overlapped this year, there was an enormous abundance of food and the animals could not keep up with pollination,” says Thomas Schiefecker, head of the garden at the Botanical Institute of Linz. “Now, however, it is too cold for the insects to fly and they are missing out on a very rich food supply.”
Unable to fly below twelve degrees
Because bees cannot fly at temperatures below twelve degrees, many have not returned from their flights in recent days, agrees beekeeper Bernhard Rihl. The current weather with its strong fluctuations causes a lot of stress for the animals: “When it was so hot, the queen bees laid a lot of eggs, and now the animals are hatching.
“But they do not fly in the cold, which means the hive is very full,” the expert explains. “Therefore, May is likely to be a particularly strong swarming month, as the swarms will split and half the tribe will look for a new hive.”
Less fruit later
But it is not only the animal world that is losing its rhythm due to the erratic weather: many plants also bloomed significantly too early this year, as we already read in the “Krone”. “As long as there is no frost, the plants survive,” says Thomas Schiefecker. But there is a danger: “If the pollination of the flowers is not optimal or only decreases due to the cold, this means that there will be less fruit to harvest later.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
