New research warns that rising heat and pollution are dulling the vital buzz of bumblebees. These wing vibrations, reaching up to 400 times per second, help bees shake pollen from flowers and communicate within their colonies. But experiments show that high temperatures and heavy metals lower buzz strength, threatening plant pollination and food chains. Scientists now see bee buzzes as early warnings of ecosystem stress, and are even studying them to inspire tiny robots that could help if real bees fall silent.
