Heatwaves affect animals, impacting ecosystems and human food supply

Heatwaves are taking a toll on more than just humans, with animals across various species experiencing distress and behavioral changes. Research shows that high temperatures impair bumblebees' memory, making them "dizzy and sloppy" and less able to find nectar or return to their nests. This impacts their crucial role as pollinators, threatening crops like beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplants.

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Heat makes the bumblebees dizzy and sloppy. They no longer remember which flowers provide the most nectar, and if they do, they may not find their way home afterward.

Butterflies also suffer, with warmer weather hindering the growth of their larvae and shortening the lifespan of adults. This decline affects the food chain, as birds and bats rely on butterflies for sustenance. Birds, in turn, reduce their foraging and singing during extreme heat, often perching with wings spread and mouths open to cope.

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Bumblebees are one of our most important pollinators, and 70 percent of the plants we eat depend on bumblebees. If they do not function as they should, it will affect many edible plants, such as beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplants.

Dogs, too, are sensitive to heat, sweating only through their paw pads. Studies suggest a correlation between hot, sunny days and an increase in dog bites, though it remains unclear if dogs become more aggressive or if people provoke them more when overheated. Signs of heat stress in dogs include heavy panting, red mucous membranes, and a tongue hanging far out of the mouth.

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When it's hot outside, butterfly larvae do not grow as well, and adult butterflies that become heat-stressed have a shorter lifespan.

To help animals during heatwaves, individuals can provide shallow water bowls for hedgehogs and other small creatures, and bird baths for birds and insects. Adding stones to bird baths allows insects to land safely without drowning.

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This issue with more aggressive dogs is not something we have noticed, but dogs are generally more sensitive to heat than humans because they only sweat through their paw pads.