Queen bees can breathe underwater for several hours
Animals
While their workers succumb to rising waters in minutes, these royal insects can survive for an entire week submerged in a flooded underground nest.
When heavy snow melts or spring rains flood the earth, a hibernating queen bee doesn't drown; she simply waits. While most insects require a constant flow of oxygen to survive, a queen can lower her metabolic rate and breathe through tiny holes in her sides called spiracles. These openings act like natural snorkels, pulling dissolved oxygen directly from the water in a process similar to how a fish uses its gills.