Smithsonian Magazine on MSN

Queen Bumblebees’ Tongues Aren’t Built for Slurping Nectar—Which Might Keep the Royals Homebound

Queen bumblebees have sparser hair on their tongues than worker bees, which makes them less efficient at lapping up nectar, ...

Sparse tongue hair explains why queen bees stop foraging when workers emerge

During spring, when queen bumblebees first emerge from hibernation to start their nests, they work incredibly hard foraging ...