Like most others I have not read the article. But someone please answer me this:

If the bees fell asleep, then why didn't the fire kill them? I can accept that insects don't have lungs, I mean some people are doing well without hearts... but am I supposed to accept that bees are also immune to fire damage?

am i the only one who notices that this logic makes no sense? it doesnt matter that they have no lungs, they still are susceptible to both heat and airborn toxins, they perform gas exchange. They lived because the heat and smoke were below lethal toxic levels for them.

Why doesn't the damaging and hot particulate matter in smoke do any harm to or otherwise clog up their spiracles like it does to the inner lining of lungs? I gather lungs are wet and also very delicate, but if they're directly oxygenating their organs through these spiracles eventually it must get to somewhere wet and delicate for the smoke to get in and potentially harm.

I remember the first time I heard bugs dont have lungs. Like wtf? Just no internal ventilation pumping air as needed. Seems wierd but also thx God. They are annoying enough.

They breathe their own farts. Well.