Published by Santiago Campillo Brocal, Biologist and Director of Muy Interesante Digital

Published by Santiago Campillo Brocal, Biologist and Director of Muy Interesante Digital. Created: 07.08.2026 | 10:08 Updated: 07.08.2026 | 10:09 A new study reveals that queen bees are not passive victims of hive collapse. When worker bees become overwhelmed by pesticides and can no longer protect her, the queen activates a previously undocumented mechanism. For years, the narrative of pollinator decline has focused on worker bees, which die disoriented or fail to return to the hive. The queen, however, was seen as the protected core, shielded by workers from external threats, including agrochemicals. This protective mechanism, known as social buffering, was assumed to be effective until now.